


Reanimation

by clarityace



Series: Boruto [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, Post-Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2018-09-08 13:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 57,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8847643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarityace/pseuds/clarityace
Summary: The Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, died an honorable death for his village. Two years later, he found himself reanimated under someone else's control, alive with only one purpose - to face his old rival and best friend, as well as his son, and kill them both.





	1. Chapter One

The first time he opened his eyes he knew there was something wrong - like a wave of guilt overwhelming his body wanting to drag him under the current to drown. He woke up somewhere he did not belong, somewhere he needed to escape from.

Apart from the sunlight blinding his eyes, the silence was too much. It hurt his ears. He really had slowly come to his senses. He began to recognize the smell of water mixed with dirt; and he began to feel the coldness of the breeze at dawn.

His vision remained useless for a while before it relearned to focus - he was at the very entrance of a cave, his back slack against the wall. He did not have any strength to move just yet, and then there's the pain, he hurt all freaking over.

 _My body is only starting to relearn how to move._ Was this how it feels to die and come back again?

Yes, he was dead. That he knew. That he was certain. He was supposed to be dead. It was the wave of guilt of being alive again when he wasn't supposed to that was washing over him.

_I certainly do not have any right to be here._

He mustered enough strength to bow his head slowly. He did not have any clothes on, great, and the seal was no longer there. It wasn't like he expected it to be there. Whoever, or whatever, brought him back did not intend to or was not successful in bringing the nine-tails back with him.

_Kurama had always been a completely separate being from me after all._

He was completely alone.

A part of him wanted to move, and another part of him didn't want to. For what reasons he was brought back - he had a feeling he wouldn't want to know. It wasn't for anything good. It wasn't going to turn out well. Everything was meant to go down from here.

He closed his eyes and waited. He was waiting for nothing, really. Or maybe he was waiting for anything-anything to make sense. It felt like eternity. Through his lids he knew darkness was starting to creep in. He never moved. He never felt hungry - why would he? He was dead. Dead, and yet he was breathing. Dead, and yet his body kept hurting. Dead, and yet his mind kept wandering, kept asking -

_Why?_

"Because you're the only one who can get rid of him,"

His eyes snapped open and he held his breath.

_No chakra. I can't feel anyone. Who is there?_

"Show yourself! Who are you?" Naruto yelled, his throat burning at the first words he spoke ever since he woke up.

His voice echoed and Naruto cringed at the sound of it. Worry was evident and he didn't even want to admit it. For someone to get away with this...

"It is such an honor to bring you back, Lord Seventh."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Okay so the reason why this chapter is very short (even though I have already a written long one) is because I am still unsure about it. I really want to pull this idea off well but I haven't written in a very long time (6-8 years) and I am not sure if I can or if I should. So yeah, if you have thoughts about it, negative or positive, let me know and I'll definitely appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> In case you're wondering where I got the idea from, I randomly just woke up in the middle of the night and thought about the possibility of Naruto getting killed by that Kawaki dude in Boruto and thought of what might happen if he gets reanimated to fight the family and friends he died protecting. Such a horrible idea right?


	2. Chapter Two

_"It is such an honor to bring you back, Lord Seventh."_

Out of the shadows a man stepped out, bowing his head gently and so lowly that Naruto could not see his face. The presence of this man felt warm, the opposite of how the presence of an enemy normally felt like. But this man hid his chakra signature. No matter how he did it and why, it made him definitely the kind of person you could not trust.

"Show me your face," Naruto said calmly, keeping an observant eye on the man.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, you know that the re-animator has the upper hand on the reanimated -"

"All the more reason to have enough courage to show your face," Naruto interjected quite firmly and calmly, although his patience was slowly slipping.

The man did not dare lift his head and proceeded to bow down.

"No, don't," Naruto stopped him. The man's gesture felt like an insult - a direct slap on the face. "It's useless to show any form of respect right after defiling my grave. Yet you call me your Hokage? I've been dead. Who is your Hokage now?"

"The man I'd have you murder."

Naruto sighed. "With that guts and the ability to dare reanimate me, go face your Hokage on your own - "

 

 

"The present Hokage is Sasuke Uchiha."

 

* * *

 

"... so I might have to ask Mitsuki to take over my shift on that day. Would that be okay?" The question fell on deaf ears and they came to a halt. His sensei was looking far ahead, as if he was suddenly expecting someone to step out to the path.

Boruto shifted his gaze from his sensei to the path in front of him. No one. He looked around just in case, but he was not feeling anything new or out of the ordinary, no other presence nearby except for his and Sasuke's.

"Uncle? Anything wrong?" For a moment Boruto thought his sensei seemed caught off guard, before he became completely devoid of any expression again. Boruto watched Sasuke take a deep breath, before his sensei turned to look at him.

"Nothing." Sasuke merely shrugged it off and started walking again.

 

* * *

_"The present Hokage is Sasuke Uchiha."_

 

Naruto fell silent at the mention of his closest friend.

_He is doing well then. Of course, why wouldn't he?_

His best friend, whom he watched struggle to find his home in the place he grew up, was now recognized almost in the same manner as they acknowledged Naruto. He didn't realize he was smiling a little. For a short moment he was thankful to be alive again, if only to hear how Sasuke had become the leader of the village he was once in conflict with.

The news had given him some form of solace but it did not last long. The only way he could help his best friend and his village was if he could undo the reanimation by himself and stop this man's plan. There was no way he was going to let his friends or his family find out about this, lest he reopened wounds that had long scarred.

The man slowly lifted his head as he proceeded to talk.

"I waited too long for this Hokage-sama, waited too long for your tailed-beast to re-spawn. I worked very hard on this..." the man's eyes met with his, looking very empty.

"... and I would make sure that I get rid of him and that he dies at your very hands."

Naruto merely observed his face. No recognition. This man looked ordinary - no notable marks or scars on his face, nothing that would strike any familiarity. The man had dark hair that fell below his shoulders, and his skin showed that he spent a lot of his time working under the sun. His eyes reminded Naruto of snakes. His armor did not fail to reveal his muscular built, his heavily scarred arms, and the scalds on his hands - _experienced in battle_ , Naruto supposed. The man stood well composed and his voice unwavering, which complemented the absence of expression on the man's face.

"I am sorry. Of course you would not recognize me. After all, I've always been just a nobody,"

"If they find out you've successfully brought me back, they might recognize your skill and your wit. However, you will, no doubt, also be exiled or imprisoned, if not executed, depending on all the other offenses you've committed."

Naruto struggled to keep his tone void of anger or disgust. If he wanted answers, he would have to keep the conversation going without provoking the other to exert control over him.

"Just like how the village rightfully ostracized the Uchiha for his betrayal - how he deserved to be exiled or imprisoned for the rest of his life," the man spat with glaring eyes, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Only to be accepted when he returned as if nothing happened, all because he was a genius, all because he was already too powerful. Tell me, what made you trust him so easily?" The man glowered at him one more time before he broke eye contact and proceeded to sit on a nearby rock.

Naruto let silence linger between them for a while, trying to figure out what point he was trying to make. He still felt too under-recovered to argue, but he was also compelled to speak of how Sasuke helped him save the world. He decided against it, however, since he needed to know more.

"Who are you and what has your Hokage done to you?"

"Now you're interested," the man smirked.

"The only thing you need to know right now is that your friend, whom you've so highly esteemed, has ruined everything you, Hokage-sama, had ever worked for, everything you stood up for and died for..."

The man got up and walked toward Naruto, stopping right before him, his head lowered so that their eyes met and their foreheads barely touched.

"... and we need you right now to help us fix everything he felt so entitled to destroy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I changed the time skip in the summary because I failed to realize I wrote 'five' instead of 'two'. It should only be two years, five is too long. Sorry for the confusion.
> 
> Second, I decided against using anyone related to the villains of the Naruto or Boruto series, because I don't claim to be knowledgeable about them and I don't want to end up misusing them.
> 
> Third, English is not my first language and I was really struggling with the grammar =)) Not sure if it is apparent to you but I spent a huge amount of time just being too self-conscious of the grammar. Feel free to correct me in a nice, constructive way if my errors bother you.
> 
> And lastly, yes, I've decided to continue this since I'm also enjoying writing it. So there, thank you for the reviews so far! :) I really appreciate them. So here was a slightly longer chapter. Hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter Three

**KONOHAGAKURE**

_Evening_

 

Boruto was leaning against the door frame in the Hokage's office with his arms folded, rubbing his shoe mindlessly against the door while Sasuke worked on his table. He had been standing there for almost an hour now, despite being told to go home.

"If there's anything you need Uncle," Sasuke stopped writing and looked up to see Bolt still hadn't left.

He almost forgot Bolt was still there despite being able to feel his chakra signature. Boruto looked up and met Sasuke's gaze.

"I mean, if there's anything you need me to... do - or to talk about... I don't know, just anything really. I wouldn't be on missions in the next few days."

"Yes, Bolt. The shifts can get pretty draining, so I need you to rest. There's no need to push yourself. I have plenty of manpower," Sasuke gave a slight nod before he went back to writing.

"I wasn't _really_ talking about missions, Uncle," Boruto straightened up, placing his hands on his waist. "If you needed me - of course I know you wouldn't - but, you know. You get what I mean, don't you?"

Sasuke looked at him and smiled. Bolt reminded him of Naruto, with how he struggled to explain himself clearly. Naruto always struggled the same way, always having difficulty expressing himself in words while being ridiculously sentimental or emotional. Even after the loser became Hokage, it didn't change.

"Yes, I know what you mean, Bolt,"

"Okay," Boruto flashed a wide grin to Sasuke and mindlessly scratched the back of his head, so much like how Naruto used to.

Sasuke sighed. _He took so much after the loser._

"I have to get going then," Boruto exclaimed, turning his back to Sasuke.

"What I have been telling you Boruto, your mother and sister could really use your help at home,"

"You too, Uncle Sasuke! Sarada might pull the attitude on you again if you stay out too late. No consecutive nights, remember -"

"Bolt," Sasuke shot up and Boruto turned to face him again just before he turned the corner.

"Yes?"

"If you happen to run into her, just in case... walk her home?"

 _Uncle Sasuke knows his daughter well, of course she'd still be out there_ _,_ Boruto thought.

"Yep, I will," Bolt gave a quick salute and took off.

As soon as the sound of his student's footsteps died, Sasuke slumped back to his chair and turned, looking far out the window.

 _Nothing unusual_. The moon shone the same way it had the night before. It was unbelievably quiet and still, but just as it had always been.

For two years, no one in Konoha, save for the ANBU doing their rounds, left their homes as soon as the sun went down. For two years, the children were not allowed to play outside, even in broad daylight, without an overlooking shinobi. For two years, the ANBU escorted whoever stayed beyond the curfew straight to their homes unless presented with a permission slip or a valid reason not to. And for two years, the gates of Konoha remained close to outsiders unless the Hokage himself determined they have reasons acceptable enough to enter the gates.

Ever since the _incident_ , ever since the day Sasuke had to take over his best friend's position, Konoha had been overprotective of its people. Rules foreign to the villagers, both young and old, were implemented as Sasuke saw necessary.

No one questioned him, and everyone felt safer - at least that's what Shikamaru assured Sasuke. There was peace among the different villages, but their defense against unknown threats existing outside the treaties could not always be guaranteed.

_The last time our defenses failed, Konoha was almost completely wiped out._

Sasuke shut his eyes as the memory began washing over him. There was absolutely no way it was going to happen again.

_Smoke, flames, explosions coming everywhere. Civilians and shinobi turning against each other._ _The day turning into darkness and the people becoming helpless. Women and children gathered and terrified._

His breathing became shallow and he felt it coming again - the nightmare he fought every night in his sleep.

_The last time our defenses failed, the Hero of Konoha had to die._

 

And from then on until now, the village relentlessly mourned.

 

* * *

 

Boruto decided to take the longer way home because he thought he needed the time to think, afraid he would be raising his mother's concern if he brought his musings home with him.

This was the first time in three weeks he got to spend some time with his mentor again.

He wanted to be there for him as much as he could. It's what Sasuke's always done for Naruto back in the day.

_My dad would have wanted me to do the same._

Sasuke wasn't the most conversational mentor in the village; he was, in fact, the _least_ _._ His dad, however, told him that Sasuke was way more communicative now than he had ever seen him.

Throughout the day his sensei was quiet. It wasn't unusual. However, Boruto couldn't help but wonder.

During their conversations, Sasuke still came up with the occasional sarcastic comments and insults, mixed with subtle compliments and encouragements. Nothing out of the ordinary. But as they walked back to the village, Bolt felt Sasuke stiffen a little. It could have been his imagination, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. That's why he hang around for a while longer than he used to just to make sure.

But then again, his mentor could see through anyone, including him. He would have easily noticed Bolt being a bit suspecting and tried to hide any indication that something was bothering him.

Nevertheless, it really could have been just Boruto's imagination.

He got distracted from his thoughts when Boruto felt movement overhead. It couldn't have been the wind, it was too swift and... heavy. He looked up and saw nothing, just the clear sky, bare of anything else save for the moon.

_It was most likely jumping on the roofs then, whatever or whoever that was. How lame._

Boruto thought of reaching inside his jacket - his ANBU mask - but of course it was useless. He was too recognizable, since he wasn't doing his shift and he wasn't wearing his ANBU uniform. Bolt also did not want to be too concerned over something that wasn't directly attacking him yet.

Unable to deny that he was feeling a bit uneasy, he formed a hand sign and a clone appeared behind him. _Just in case._

He hang around for a little while longer just to clear the area, before he started walking again. As he reached the end of the street, three kunai aimed at his neck flew from behind him and he lunged to his right just in time to avoid them. His clone leaped into the air as the enemy came behind its back, turning around and throwing a kick toward the direction of the attack effortlessly.

The attacker, who also managed to dodge the clone, was wearing an ANBU uniform and a mask - a fox with red triangles above its forehead and across its cheeks.

Bolt did not recognize the mask, and he knew most of the ANBU doing their shifts tonight. _This is either a traitor or an impostor._

The intruder sat on the roof, seemingly waiting for Bolt's next move. Boruto activated his Byakugan but the other seemed to have anticipated this, disappearing with such speed Bolt did not expect.

The traitor appeared behind Boruto with his sword drawn out and aimed toward his back. Bolt's clone jumped in the way of the sword, disappearing in a puff of smoke right after it pierced its stomach. Bolt's only intent was to see his attacker's chakra network and uncover his identity, capture him, and question him of his intent.

Bolt threw seals past his opponent, aiming at the light posts around the area, and produced three new clones. His attacker turned to deal with them and Bolt took the opportunity to kick the attacker from behind. He managed, but his target turned into smoke at the impact, leaving only a piece of log. _Substitution._

Boruto did not want to use the rasengan or any form of ninjutsu just yet. It might cause too much damage, noise, and chaos. _Uncle Sasuke would not want that._ And he did not want to rouse other people, only to witness two leaf shinobis fighting. The attacker seemed to share the same concern, not using any destructive ninjutsu and relying only in taijutsu and his weapons.

The fact that the assailant was on his own concerned him. Was this just a personal attack against him?

Bolt looked around with his Byakugan to find where the other was hiding, before he sensed him coming from above him with a sword aimed at his head. Bolt dodged and almost got knocked over, rolling on the floor to get away. His clones closed in on his assailant, who was also quick enough to miss the clones by an inch and appear right behind them.

Fortunately, however, the intruder forgot about the seals and Bolt was able to teleport and land a fist on his head. As his attacker hit the floor, Bolt stepped over him, grabbed him by the hair, and knelt, contemplating on removing the mask. He didn't. Boruto activated his Byakugan instead.

With his eyes narrowed, staring at the slits of the intruder's mask, Boruto deactivated his Byakugan.

Sighing heavily, Bolt released the assailant, stood up, and walked away without saying a word, leaving his attacker lying dumbfounded and unscathed on the pavement.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was longer than I expected. I dread action scenes. I've never written one in my whole life. That was my first one, ever. So I'm sorry if it's quite... boring and short.
> 
> Anyway, I just realized something. Boruto The Movie introduced advanced technology to the Naruto-verse but I'm not really that fond of it, yet. So, in this story, you wouldn't see much of it. In fact, you might not see it at all. Sorry for that, too.
> 
> To those who gave me suggestions, especially about getting a Beta reader, thank you! I have considered that too but I'm not really sure how. There's someone I'm eye-ing to ask here but I haven't gotten around to asking her through a PM yet, sooo... you're all still free to correct me if there are errors bothering you while I go find myself a Beta. Thanks again for reading! Hope you liked this.


	4. Chapter Four

"Bolt," the attacker stood up. Boruto was walking toward the opposite direction already with his hands in his pockets. "Boruto!"

"I was going to walk you home, Sarada, but I didn't know you were doing rounds tonight," Bolt stopped walking and turned to Sarada.

"No, I'm not," Sarada took off her mask and subsequently deactivated her sharingan.

"So what was that all about? The uniform and the new mask? All for a prank?"

"No! I had to replace my old one. And it wasn't a prank," Sarada yelled, charging toward Boruto and driving a fist to his stomach. Bolt did not avoid her and they both fell to the ground. "It was payback."

Sarada stared at Boruto glaringly. "That was the second time, Bolt! It's fine with us if you're busy but at least tell us you couldn't come!"

"I'm sorry," Bolt got up and reached for her hand to help her. "Your dad asked me to see him. I didn't know we would be out all day. Are you okay, though? Your head, I mean," Bolt asked and Sarada nodded as she straightened up. "You should stop being out so late just goofing around, _goof head_. You're giving your dad another thing to worry about,"

Sarada rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Nah, he's always busy - "

"Don't say that!" Bolt grabbed her by the wrist and they both stopped. "Sorry," he sighed. They continued walking.

"I don't mean it most of the time, Bolt, sorry." Sarada apologized sincerely. She was used to Bolt acting that way whenever she said something about her dad. She understood how he felt.

Boruto used to say the same thing about his father. _He still regrets it almost everyday._

"Hey," Sarada spoke up when Boruto remained quiet. His face displayed the same loneliness he had always shown whenever he remembered his dad.

Closing his eyes, Bolt sighed, "I want him back."

 

* * *

 

"I have so much respect for you, Hokage-sama. I am really sorry that I have to do this,"

Naruto already had his old clothes on, which still fit perfectly and seemed to have been kept in good condition. He was beginning to regain his strength and the man who reanimated him noticed this. He took two pairs of shackles and began to restrain Naruto's wrists and ankles, covering them with paper seals to prevent escape.

"The nine-tailed fox. If you had a choice, would you want to be reunited with it?" The man asked after binding Naruto, facing him in a squatted position.

"Kurama - he has a name, and that isn't for me to decide. I just wanted him to be free after I died." Naruto's chest felt heavy talking about Kurama. He had always empathized with the tailed beasts. He wanted to make sure they were freed and left alone after the deaths of their jinchuurikis. They did not deserve to be bound or used. "Don't you dare involve Kurama in this, he is not yours or mine to manipulate. Whatever you're up to, leave him out of it."

The man just shrugged. A moment of silence lingered as he seemed to think, looking far out the opening of the cave.

"You're facing Sasuke of the Rinnegan, as well as your kid, Boruto. The tailed beast is needed," the man finally spoke, standing up to gather his weapons at the far end of the cave.

"Boruto? Why? What do you have against my son?! He is just a kid!"

"Not anymore, Lord Seventh. Your kid is no longer a child, and he is no longer innocent. He'd give his life for the Uchiha and his brat. Of course he'd get in the way. He always had. He's the perfect bait," the man explained casually, refusing to face Naruto. He tried to make himself look busy by fixing his weapons and throwing log to the fire.

Naruto gritted his teeth. He felt himself fuming. He'd never felt this angry in a long time, excluding the two years he'd been dead. Naruto didn't notice himself clutching his fists too tightly, or his eyes stinging with tears. At the mention of his son, he remembered what family felt like - he remembered how loss felt like when he decided to leave them behind. He wasn't doing that again. He wasn't going to return, only to make things harder for everyone.

As much as he didn't want to bring the same burden to his best friend, if Naruto was unable to undo the reanimation by himself, he knew Sasuke could face him and deal with him better than anyone else. He had seen Sasuke do it - facing and fighting alongside a reanimated Itachi, only to say goodbye after. Sasuke had gone through so much loss, he'd know what to do and how to feel. _Sasuke wouldn't break._

The hardest thing he had to go through in dying _wasn't_ dying itself - it was the decision he had to make before it. He could only imagine the pain his wife and children felt, helplessly watching him breathe his last. They were tough individually and almost invincible when together. They would have pulled through well after his death. But this reanimation... This was different. This was too much.

He missed Hinata - the one who gave him a family of his own, and the one who gave him children that would call him _'_ _dad'_. And he missed his children - his daughter's gentleness and cheerfulness, and his son's relentless drive and courage. _If only he could watch them grow better everyday..._

"Who are you? And what exactly do you want to achieve?" Naruto asked, leading himself back to the reality he needed to face. He had to focus while he could still make his own decisions, free from the other man's control.

"Hyō," the man lowered his weapons on the ground and looked at Naruto. "He isn't me, but I was expecting you would at least recognize him."

The name was familiar. _No last name - a code name._

"Who was he to you?" Naruto prodded further. To his dismay, he couldn't think of any way he could sway this man's plans yet.

"Related, but not much. See, he was the only notable relation I had, no one else was as significant. Hyō was in - "

"Root,"

"Yes."

"Of course." Naruto sighed heavily, his body relaxing as he leaned backward.

 _Root. Danzō. Tobirama. Uchiha._ Naruto's mind continued to race. _It was starting to make sense, almost._

* * *

 

Sasuke always made sure he came home for dinner on time at least every two days. It was a promise he made Sarada and he had never failed. Tonight, however, he might not be able to make it. Despite having finished all his paperwork in advance - something Naruto was unable to do during his time as Hokage - Sasuke decided to stay. He had a mission for himself, something he needed to carry out very soon. _It has to start today._

He made sure Shikamaru had gone home. The personal guards, however, _they would have to stay._ He didn't mind raising their suspicions. _They have raised mine first._ No one else knew of this - not even Shikamaru or Sakura. He had to think through it alone.

"You have called for me, Hokage-sama," one of his personal guards appeared at the door, bowing his head.

"Information on the tailed beasts. I need a detailed and accurate one. Last week's report was not submitted. Don't tell me some of you have been slacking," Sasuke placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. He stared at the guard sharply, with the intent to intimidate.

_I have been really considerate, despite you and your colleagues' inability to meet my standards. Do not test my patience._

"I am sorry, my Lord. The report has been finalized, but forgive us if it was not handed to you on time. There hasn't been anything too concerning about the tailed beasts," the guard straightened up and remained by the door.

"The nine-tails has just reappeared and soon after I noticed a disturbance around it. What were you saying about not having anything too concerning regarding the tailed beasts?"

The guard remained silent for a while, before speaking up. "We determined the threat wasn't significant. The late Seventh's instruction was to leave the tailed beasts alone and allow them to fight for themselves, as this was also their wish. We interfere only when the beasts have failed to defend themselves."

"I did not mean for you to interfere but I clearly asked for all the information you have. If I were meant to rely solely on what I can sense, I would not have had any need for you," Sasuke shifted in his seat and leaned back, resting his hands on the table. "I want Kansuke to report to me first thing in the morning, with every detail he can relay to me - the status of each tailed beast, the methods you have taken to monitor their safety, and the petty excuses he has for all of your team's shortcomings. I am not impressed, Mitsuo. I have never been."

Sasuke waved his hand to dismiss Mitsuo, who left at an instant. When Sasuke made sure no one else was present near his office, he quickly scribbled a note.

_Urgent. Track Kansuke. He might be capable of hiding his own chakra. I can sense it fluctuate. Leave before sunrise and start from the underground cave located at the outskirts of the Land of Waves. That's where I last sensed him. Bring Mitsuki, but keep this from Boruto. Promise me not to tell him, your mother, or anyone else about this. Report only to me. Also, I'm sorry I couldn't come to dinner._

A snake slithered its way out from under the table and ingested the note, soon heading for Sarada's bedroom.

 

* * *

 

A few blocks from the Hokage's office, two masked shinobis came to a halt on a roof where another ANBU-clad shinobi met with them.

"What did he call you for, Mitsuo?" Their newly arrived companion asked.

"Kansuke and the nine-tailed beast. He's starting to notice something is amiss."

"He was going to find out, eventually. We need to act. _Now._ "

All three of them nodded before they leaped off the roof and parted ways.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited. Un-beta'd. I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing.
> 
> Timeline: this is placed two years after the Boruto - Kawaki confrontation panel, assuming Naruto was killed during that period. My villains are not related to the original Boruto villains. They're tied more closely with the disbanded Root.
> 
> Kawaki would be an unresolved case in this fanfiction. [Unresolved, e.g. Pain entered as a new villain, while Orochimaru (a villain introduced earlier in the series) remained unresolved]. I hope you get what I mean. XD Kawaki and his group (or team, or whatever) are still out there, partly why Konoha has its defenses turned way up.
> 
> Thank you for the reviews! I greatly appreciate them. I hope you liked this chapter.


	5. Chapter Five

Ten minutes. " _Ten minutes max_ ", a certain pink-head muttered under her breath as she walked through the dark, quiet hallway.

The Konoha hospital had been empty for the most part, receiving mostly civilian cases during the day for the past two years. Combat injuries brought here were all too familiar, and there was a notable growth in the number of incredibly competent medics - _thanks to Sakura and Ino -_ so the hospital had generally been quiet and peaceful. ANBU guards also kept an eye all over the hospital, in addition to the facility's own security personnel. The hospital wasn't as heavily guarded as this before; it was one of the Eighth's new ordinances.

Some said it was heavily protected because his wife worked there all day. However, given how unprotected and unguarded the Uchiha compound was, they eventually figured he sincerely implemented it for the people.

Sakura scanned the area, _clear,_ before unlocking a door using the key she had in her pocket. Upon entering the room, she made sure she locked it from the inside, before taking out a note from her pocket.

 _Take Kansuke's medical records, all of it, and replace them with forged documents.  
_ _We'll talk about all the issues tied to this later; I just need it as soon as possible. Make sure no one would know._

Sakura drew a shaky breath. The room suddenly felt cold, or she was just nervous.

_I have no idea what's going on but I guess I'll have to trust you on this, Sasuke._

Kansuke was one of the most prominent members of the ANBU. He used to head the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, until he recently requested transfer to the special division Naruto assigned to monitor the tailed beasts. No one really knew so much about him, except that he was exceptional, constantly praised by his colleagues. He was the only candidate for ANBU commander, until Sasuke determined the position wasn't needed. Shikamaru and Sakura never understood why, but Sasuke left the position empty.

As far as Sakura was aware, Sasuke had nothing to say about Kansuke, whether good or bad.

Kansuke's medical records would include his identity - something meant to be concealed while in duty. Sakura had no authority looking into his anonymity.

_Sasuke could have done this himself as he had the village's highest jurisdiction. But he wasn't really the type who would ask for favors unless he couldn't do it himself._

Although Sakura was Konoha's head medic, she needed special permission from the ANBU's medical team to gain access to their files. Given the circumstances Sasuke put her in, however, she figured he wanted her to bypass such protocols. It required Sarada's new ANBU mask, careful planning, and prodigious visual jutsu to place that _damned_ key into Sakura's coat pocket. But now, all Sakura had was ten minutes. _Ten freaking minutes to find the needle in the haystack._

She knelt down and started from the bottom of the rightmost cabinet. She knew ANBU documents were filed in a strategic manner she knew nothing about - it was nothing alphabetical, chronological, or ordinal - to make it difficult for trespassers to go through them. _Great, I totally forgot to ask Sarada about this._

However, as if all the odds were placed in her favor, she gasped as she opened the first random folder her hand had pulled from the stack. "Kansuke," she whispered, looking over the photo to make sure it was him.

With trembling hands, Sakura brought out the forged documents she had prepared this morning, placing them on his folder. She then hid the legitimate records inside her coat.

She was shaking. Document theft was a crime punishable by incarceration, as determined by the law her own husband had approved. As she regained her composure, she took another deep breath and took Sasuke's note again, flipping it over to reveal what he had written at the back.

 _Take Naruto's medical records home with you, including every document connected to his death.  
__Any medical information about Kurama would be helpful too._  
_I'm sorry but you cannot say anything to Hinata and the rest of Naruto's family, yet._  
 _Thank you, Sakura._

"What the hell is bothering you right now, Sasuke?" Sakura closed her eyes and sighed.

 

* * *

 

"Sarada, tell me. How do you really feel about your dad?" Bolt asked, while he and Sarada were sitting on the roof of the Uchiha residence.

"Hm? About Papa?" Sarada was looking at the sky but shifted her eyes quickly to Boruto, surprised at her friend's question.

"Yeah, and the village, him being the Kage and all that," Bolt said casually while staring at the Hokage monument, his feet dangling from the edge of the roof.

Only seven Hokages were carved on the mountain - the Eighth having firmly refused a place on it. No one argued with him. The Eighth simply insisted he did not deserve to be there.

"I mean, I don't really think it upsets you that Uncle Sasuke is not always home." Bolt looked at her. "He used to travel far from the village for a long time. I can imagine that you only feel happiness now that he's always around."

Sarada nods. "Yeah," she looks at the stars. "In fact, I've never felt so... _complete._ I never really thought he was too busy for me or my mom. I don't really mind it if he's busy - "

"Then how come - ?"

"Then how come it seems like I complain sometimes? No, I don't," Sarada shrugged, taking a deep breath. "Whenever I asked him to come to dinner, it wasn't really for me, Bolt. It was for my mom, and Papa knows it had always been for my mom."

Boruto was taken aback a bit. He looked at Sarada. She was often the one who reminded her dad to spend time with them _or else,_ and it was always her mom who told her it was okay if Sasuke could not make it. This was new to him. Bolt listened; _things were usually not how they seemed to_ _be_.

"I used to remind you not to take the kage position against your dad, and I tell myself the same thing now," Sarada continued, swinging her feet slowly by the edge of the roof. "It's just that sometimes our home feels so empty, partly because I'm also out at night, doing rounds or going on missions."

"Aunt Sakura then prepares dinner for herself and eats alone?"

"Yes. Don't get me wrong though. Mama doesn't mind when Papa is not around. She understands the responsibilities of the kage more than anyone else."

Sarada lifted her hand to point at the Hokage monument. "She was the disciple of the Fifth, a student of the Sixth, and a dear friend to the Seventh," she beamed, pointing at the faces of the previous Hokages respectively.

"So she fully supports Papa, however, I just can't help but notice how her eyes light up whenever Papa is around her - asking her how her day went while eating the food she cooked -"

 _It was the same thing with mom and Hima_ , Boruto thought.

"- and the same can be said about Papa too..." Sarada's voice trailed off. She slowly lifted her face to look at Boruto. "Bolt... my parents weren't the same after your dad died."

Boruto sighed. There was too much sincerity in Sarada's voice and her words were piercing through him.

"If only you knew," Sarada continued, "there's now a void in our family too. I feel it - how it affected them both. My mom said the Seventh was a _big ball of warmth and joy and sunshine._ Her words, not mine," Sarada giggled. "I was laughing because it sounded as if she was describing a child, then Mama just told me...

 _'Oh, you have no idea. Naruto was a child. Apart from being the youngest in our team,  
__sometimes it's like he never really grew up inside that huge body of_ _his,'_

... and then she would laugh with me. She never laughed the same way again after what happened, Bolt. She's still a cheerful person but it's not the same. _Maybe that's what losing your best friend does to you_. "

Sarada bowed her head, pursing her lips. Bolt thought he saw something glimmer in her eyes. He knew how fond Sarada was of his dad, her parents' gratitude to Naruto contributing greatly to that. So Boruto wasn't surprised by the emotions being displayed to him now. Bolt appreciated how much Sarada opened up to him. She trusted him, and he valued it.

"About Papa, hm," Sarada took a moment of silence to gather her thoughts before continuing, "I don't think it's the responsibility that's weighing him down, Bolt. It's the loss. Papa doesn't tell us but I feel it. He blames himself _everyday_."

Bolt frowned, as all the worries he had about his mentor were confirmed. All the blame and the guilt, all these horrors his sensei had yet to defeat.

"Mama said the Seventh was the first bond Papa had before us, and then that was taken away." Sarada placed her hand on Boruto's lap but her eyes were still fixed at the Hokage monument.

"Papa appreciates it when you're around, I believe partly it's because you're so much like your dad. Maybe he feels like your approval is also equivalent of the Seventh's approval. I don't know. He doesn't show it but whenever he lets his guard down I see it - Papa doubts himself. If there was anyone who doubts him the most, it's not the elders or the villagers, _it's himself."_ Sarada tapped Boruto twice before she got up.

Bolt looked down and saw Sakura entering the compound. Sarada and Boruto waved at her from the roof and she waved back, before she entered the house.

"Sarada, don't worry. I always try my best to tell Uncle Sasuke how well he is doing, and I mean everything I say," Boruto brushed his shoulder against hers. "I know my old man's ghost would tell him,

_'Ne Sasuke, don't try too hard, or I'd lose to you as 'The best Hokage Konoha has ever had'!"_

"That's way too effortless, Bolt" Sarada laughed, quite amused at how perfectly Boruto imitated his own father.

"I know. I can imitate Uncle Sasuke well too if you'd promise me you wouldn't tell him," Bolt winked. "Maybe it means I'd become a perfect Hokage too someday!" Bolt teased before jumping down the roof.

"No! I swear to god, Boruto! I won't let you beat me to it!" Sarada yelled before following Bolt.

Boruto turned to Sarada and gave her a quick salute. "I have to go. I'll see you around, _goof head._ Say 'hi' to Auntie Sakura for me, and just call me whenever you need anything."

"Sure, thank you, Bolt! Say 'hi' to Hima and Auntie Hinata for me too!"

Boruto flashed a wide grin before dashing out of the compound and into the street.

 

* * *

 

Both Sarada and Sakura went to bed early, and as expected, Sasuke wasn't home yet. Sakura kept tossing around their bed and couldn't sleep. Eventually, she got up. It was no use torturing herself to bed. It was one of those nights where any effort toward resting was useless. She proceeded to the dining room and was opening the lamp by the counter when she heard sounds coming from their front door. She looked at the clock, 2:07 AM. _Sasuke often left his office at two in the morning._

As Sasuke entered the living room, she was met by Sakura who was leaning by the doorframe near the kitchen, her arms crossed against her chest.

"I'm sorry. Did you have to wait for me?" Sasuke asked as he switched the lights on. Sakura shook her head and proceeded to sit on the sofa.

"Was it the task? Did anything go wrong?"

"No, Kansuke's medical records are on the desk in our room, and nobody saw me take it, but... There was _something,_ however -" her voice trailed off before looking at Sasuke. _"Sasuke... Would you happen to know why Naruto's files are missing?"_

Sasuke's eyes widened and as if on cue, a piercing scream resounding through the stillness of the night was heard from the Uzumaki residence.

And it was the exact same scream they heard the very moment Naruto died.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited. Un-beta'd. Okay, so that was longer than expected, again. I didn't plan on writing/posting this chapter as soon as today but I am going on a short vacation so I figured it will be better if I had this up for you to enjoy (That is, if you actually find it enjoyable. But you also might not.)
> 
> I went over this only a few times so mistakes and silly errors would be all over the place. I will try to re-read and edit as soon as I can, but for now you can also tell me what you think about it - the good and the bad, they're both valuable to me. I appreciate all the reviews! They make my day!
> 
> All the events in these five chapters happened in one day! I JUST REALIZED. I'm sorry if the story drags out! But that Boruto-Sarada conversation just had to happen. I really wanted it there. I know it was a huge chunk of just talk but I felt it was necessary, since it was also about the Team 7 relationship they had as adults.
> 
> So there, I hope you liked it! つづく


	6. Chapter Six

**KONOHAGAKURE**

Uzumaki Residence: 2:02AM

_Himawari didn't care if her knees were about to give out._

_She just didn't care if she was about to pass out. Her feet continued to drag her along a steep downhill path even though she didn't even know where to go._

_She was barely catching her breath and her chest felt too heavy, but her mind felt detached and unempathetic to the rest of her body. Her mind was focused on only one goal - she needed to keep running and she needed to keep looking._

_If Uncle Sasuke and Uncle Shikamaru could not find him, she would. If her mother and her brother could not find him, she would. There was no way she was going to stop. There was no way Himawari would give up until she had found her dad._

_'Dad, where are you? Wait for us to find you, please...'_

_Not far from her right, something exploded and distant screams rang out. Himawari kept running anyway. From her left, fire blew out setting the trees ablaze. It didn't matter; Himawari kept running anyway._

_She soon came to a clearing where she made a sudden stop. Her speed had sent her helplessly crashing on the floor. She may have hit her head or she may have broken a rib, Himawari didn't know. With all her worries, the pain just didn't register anymore._

_She didn't even need her Byakugan, her eyes had found what she was looking for right away. She struggled to focus on the lifeless man before her - a figure sprawled face down at the edge of the forest, bloodied and mutilated, and half-buried in mud -_

_and as she recognized that familiar tinge of blonde, Himawari began to cry._

 

* * *

 

Himawari woke up struggling to breathe. The feeling was already too familiar - she woke up just in time to stop herself from shrieking. Trembling, she brought her hands to her face. Tears and sweat drenched her and she felt dizzy - this nightmare had never felt as vivid and as real as it had just now.

A loud crash coming from the hallway made her heart jolt. She desperately tried to calm herself down and listen for movement around her- there was _none_. But her shaking did not stop and a feeling of dread started washing over her. She did not know where her fear was coming from. The flashback was not new to her and she'd seen it many times. Tonight, however, it felt somewhat foreboding.

Before she could regain control of herself, she heard another crash, this time coming from his brother's bedroom. This time Himawari knew something was wrong.

She had barely reached her door when it creaked open and a heavily-beaten Boruto entered limping into view.

"Hima, run. Go," Bolt whispered in between painful breaths.

"Boruto! What happened?" Himawari stopped on her tracks, shocked as she slowly observed the state of her brother.

Boruto's face was bruised and he was clutching his left shoulder with his right hand, his expression contorted in pain. His breathing was labored and shallow, and he barely shifted his weight to his left leg when he walked. Bolt's clothes were heavily streaked with blood.

Himawari ran toward her brother but before she could reach him, a tall figure in ANBU uniform crept behind Boruto. The man grabbed Bolt by the hair and kicked him behind his knees so that they buckled and he collapsed.

"Hima, go!" Boruto fought to keep himself upright, kneeling. He had barely managed to look at Himawari before the man drove a sword into his back and out of his gut. Boruto's eyes widened but no sound came out of him as the man recklessly pulled the sword out. He felt a coughing fit ensuing and his mouth dripping with so much blood. His vision started spinning and soon he could not hear anything. The pain was quickly shutting down all of his senses.

Running to catch her older brother before he fell face down on the floor, she watched as two men in ANBU masks nodded to each other. Without saying anything or making any sound, they turned their backs, headed toward the stairway, and jumped off the railings.

"No, no. Don't close your eyes, Bolt! Wait until I get help," Himawari shook her brother's arm as she tried her best to carry his brother's weight, her knees initially threatening to give out under her.

Boruto struggled to keep his eyes open but all he could see was a blurry mix of red and darkness. His consciousness began to slip. It wasn't long before the shock completely took over his system and he fell unconscious, his body seizing violently.

"Bolt! Hold on! Please, no! Mama!"

This time, as Himawari felt herself soaked in her own brother's blood, she let herself scream.

 

* * *

 

**2:59AM**

"Boruto? Boruto, can you hear me?" Sakura shook Bolt's arm a little, her other hand rubbing his forehead with her thumb. "Wake up. Can you open your eyes for me?"

Bolt could barely hear her. Her voice seemed too distant and muffled. He desperately tried to open his eyes but it hurt too much to do so, the light was too strong and blinding. Soon he could hear indistinct noises around him - the sound of rhythmic beeping, shuffling, metal clattering, and voices shouting incomprehensible commands over him.

Five other medics were working on Boruto in the trauma room. Only a few minutes ago they'd successfully stabilized him. Surgery was now inevitable and they needed to get him there soon.

Sakura had been too concerned about the damage inflicted by the head trauma Boruto had sustained - she needed to make sure he would still wake up after the surgery.

"It's okay, you're okay. I'm here. Look at me, please," Sakura squeezed Boruto's hand to rouse him a little. "If you can understand what I'm saying, move this hand for me?"

Bolt grunted in pain as he contracted a muscle. His throat was threatening to burn. Sakura felt his fingers move against her hand. She sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Bolt. Thank goodness." She leaned over and kissed him softly on the forehead. "I'll make sure you pull through. But help me too, okay? You need to be strong."

Sakura took a syringe from the cart beside her and filled it with clear fluid. "Get the intubation kit ready." The medic beside her acknowledged her command before leaving.

"I'm going to put you to sleep now, alright? You won't feel anything and you'll sleep through it. I promise. And please wake up for me when it's done? Promise me," Sakura slowly released the fluid into his IV and Boruto felt someone place a mask over his nose and mouth.

He struggled initially but gradually he lost his remaining ounce of strength. Boruto felt his body relax against his will and the last thing he would remember was the darkness pulling him away.

 

* * *

 

"Why didn't you tell me right away?! I could have... I could have - "

"You could have what, Sarada?! There was nothing you could have done."

Sasuke was holding Sarada by the arm, and although his daughter wasn't really trying to pull away, his grip suggested he would not allow her to take a step closer to the operating room.

"At least let me go see him and how they're doing," Sarada spoke firmly, her body trembling in an attempt to suppress her anger. "I promise I won't get in the way."

"There's nothing you could to help -"

"I did not say I could do something helpful!" Sarada shoved Sasuke's hand away and turned to look at him. She tried her best not to keep her tears from falling as she glared at her father.

"When the Seventh lay there in that very same room, fighting for his life on that night, you had to go bursting through, didn't you?! And you knocked those _goddamn_ doors down, Dad, _just because you could_!" Sarada pointed at the door to the operating room, completely losing her restraint. "But was there anything you could do, Dad? Was there anything you could have done?" She shook her head, as if to answer her own question. "Still no one stopped you! Do you remember that? No one stopped you! Why should it be any different for me now?!"

Sasuke looked at her, his expression softening at her daughter's words. He remembered the same stubbornness he'd shown when Naruto was wheeled to the exact same room. His daughter was going through the same thing now and he understood her quite well.

But the pain - the pain he felt while watching his best friend succumb to a completely helpless state - it wasn't something he would let his daughter experience.

"It's different with you now because Boruto will be okay. It's different with you now because he will be fine, and you will be able to see him once he's recovered," Sasuke took a few steps forward, locking his eyes with his daughter's. "Sakura told me he's out of danger, and you'll have to trust her - "

Sasuke was caught mid-sentence when a fuming Sakura came storming out of the operating room.

"I knew it was you two! Leave it to the both of you to lack such decency, causing such commotion - " Sakura pointed at the spot they were standing on " - right about here!" Sakura scowled at the both of them before taking a deep breath. "Boruto is okay now. He'll be fine, I'm sure of that. He'll be in pain when he wakes up but he's definitely out of danger. Where's Hinata and Himawari?"

"Turn right when you reach that end, Kakashi and Hanabi have joined them too," Sasuke nodded toward the direction of the hallway. Sarada was staring down at her feet in relief.

"Sarada, you can go see him in recovery if you want to,"

It seemed to Sakura as if Sarada's eyes lit up as she looked at her. Sakura gave her a soft smile before she nodded and headed off. Sarada took one reassuring glance at her father and when Sasuke said nothing, she ran.

It only took her a moment to figure out which room Boruto was taken to. She carefully stepped in and saw the room empty, save for her friend lying still on the bed. One monitor at the left side displayed his heartbeat - slow, but regular, definitely healthy. Another apparatus at the opposite side of his bed pumped air into the tube that ran through his throat and to his lungs. Sarada's eyes slowly followed the countless other wires lay tangled over him.

It was too quiet, with the silence broken only by the rhythmic beeping and pumping of the machines that currently supported her friend's fragile body. She felt cold and sleepy, the sight of the chair beside him was too inviting. She didn't give in, however, and she remained standing with her back leaning against the wall. Sarada began to wonder how her friend ended up here before someone else entered the room.

"I would like to tell you everything I already know about what happened to Bolt, but your mission cannot wait," Sasuke announced, his eyes resting on his student's motionless form.

Sarada nodded, "I know. I haven't forgotten."

"Have you told Mitsuki? Is he coming with you?"

"Yes. He said he'd meet me at our training ground, two hours before sunrise," Sarada shuffled her feet, her eyes focused on the ground.

"It's almost four o'clock. Have you rested well?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Sarada looked at her father, whose eyes were still focused on Boruto. "Papa, before I go, there's something I need to know,"

"Hn?"

"Does this mission, in any way, have anything to do with - " Sarada's eyes shifted to Boruto " - this? Does it have anything to do with what just happened?"

Sasuke took a deep breath and nodded, "I believe so, yes."

"Hm, okay. I see. I guess should get going then - "

"Sarada," Sasuke rested a hand on her shoulder as she turned toward the window to leave. "Whatever you find out there... know that I, most likely, have already figured it out and that I'm already looking at all the possible ways I could deal with it, so don't let it distress you too much, if possible."

"I don't think I fully understand what you mean, Papa. But okay, I will do my best."

"Hn, I know. Thank you, Sarada, and take care. I know I can count on you."

Sarada took one final look at her father and at her friend, before she climbed out the window and disappeared into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd. Un-edited. This was, by far, the most difficult chapter to write in my entire life! First, I fractured my right arm over the weekend so typing has been a bit excruciating. Second, I had to rewrite the whole thing thrice because it just didn't feel right the first two times.
> 
> I needed to clear this up: Boruto got his Byakugan from his grandfather (at least, in this fic). For the original Boruto manga, there's a theory that Hinata or Himawari may have died before the Kawaki panel and either one's Byakugan got transplanted into Boruto. Possible, but too brutal. For this fic, it's Hiashi's.
> 
> Sarada seems to be doing a lot of the work in this fic but it's because I believe she can. Don't worry, she won't be overpowered, just awesome. I also apologize for all the horrors I was putting Himawari and Boruto through. I had to.
> 
> Oh, and yeah I know you don't care but another reason why I uploaded this right after I've finished it is because my birthday is in a few hours! Yay, and I'd be busy for that so... there.
> 
> Thank you for the reviews and I do hope you take the time to tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is very much welcome.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. つづく


	7. Chapter Seven

If it weren't for the sound of the rushing river, or the smell of burnt wood, or the stinging pain of freezing gusts of wind biting him cold, he would've convinced himself that he had succumbed to darkness once again. That it had all been a dream. That he was still dead, but now capable of dreaming.

_That would have been a lot better._

But as the most trifling sound, or smell, or change in the wind, persisted to overwhelm his recovering senses, Naruto was constantly reminded that he really was back -- that his heart had been beating relentlessly for an entire day already. The pounding of his own heart felt heavier on his ears as seconds ticked by. It just kept growing stronger every time.

The cave was now void of light, as well as of chakra. The man who reanimated him, and who identified himself as Kansuke, promised to return as soon as he could, with a present he desired to surprise Naruto with. Naruto knew he would _dread_ whatever it was.

The traitor of Konoha decided to let his guard down a bit, exposing his own chakra to Naruto, once he was sure the previously dead Hokage was incapable of threatening him yet. It was also, as Naruto had deduced it, partly because of his inability to suppress his own chakra for a long time. It just took so much effort to do so.

Naruto could not remember, or he might not have bothered to know... _Were the reanimated capable of sleeping?_ Surely now he couldn't, and he wished he could. He wanted to close his eyes and dwell in the darkness of his own mind forever. No matter how badly he wanted to see Konoha again he knew he was nothing but a threat to his own village.

_The place he protected throughout his life was now better off without him._

As Naruto's senses grew acclimatized to his surroundings, he sensed three different chakra signatures approaching at an alarming speed, one belonging to Kansuke. He closed his eyes as they entered, one of them setting the fire without saying a word. Naruto remained unfazed.

It wasn't until he saw the piece of clothing hurled to the floor that he remembered how real resentment felt like. He didn't even need a tailed beast inside of him to feel such uncontrollable rage burning at the pit of his stomach.

_Someone had touched his son._

"What did you to him?!" Naruto felt himself struggle against his restraints, while at the back of his mind suppressing his sudden desire to kill. He had never felt that way before. Not even when he fought during the war.

_When someone lays a hand on your child it was just so hard to hold back._

Kansuke's eyes wandered from Naruto to the ripped coat sprawled between them -- the Uzumaki emblem barely recognizable and heavily stained with blood. _Boruto's blood._

"A _bait_ \-- like I told you. I didn't do it though," Kansuke said casually, his expression seemingly untroubled. He gestured toward the two masked shinobis standing by the mouth of the cave, " _They did_."

Anbu. Naruto gritted his teeth. _To think that the threat had originated from the very heart of Konoha. That the very people entrusted to protect it was plotting something behind its back._

But wasn't that exactly how the foundations of trust and unity in Konoha were once destroyed and betrayed -- when its own citizens decided to fight _against_ each other instead of for each other?

Didn't something similar happen before which caused almost an entire clan's eradication?

_The plague of hatred. Where hate was allowed to exist even once, hate will find a way to thrive and consume._

Although Naruto didn't want to admit it, he knew -- as long as there were people who didn't want to forgive, Konoha would never be at peace. Sasuke had already proven himself as much as he could, what else did these people want?

"Don't worry though. They didn't kill him. But, man, was it pitiful. Your kid didn't even try to put up a fight," Kansuke pulled out a kunai and started playing with it, swinging the blade with his finger inside the ring.

"The moment we threatened to blow his sister's room up if he fought back, he stopped resisting or defending altogether," Kansuke looked at Naruto intently. "His surrender seemed almost _self-sacrificial_ ," he snarled.

Suddenly, Kansuke turned and hurled the kunai he was holding toward the other side of the cave, where a snake had just slithered around the corner. He missed. His eyes narrowed for a moment, but he continued to speak, his eyes lingering on the spot where the snake was.

"I guess your kid isn't so different from you after all. I doubt he'd give a second thought to throwing his life away if it meant protecting his family."

Naruto observed Kansuke as he slowly walked toward where the kunai was. Then he began to think, trying to figure it out before Kansuke could. As soon as the realization dawned on Naruto, Kansuke's posture relaxed, muttering under his breath...

_"Sarada Uchiha."_

Without warning, Kansuke drew his sword and lashed out at the two Anbu standing at the entrance of the cave, who neither dodged nor countered the attack. Both fell to the floor in an instant without making any sound, save for their shallow and staggering breaths. As Kansuke removed their masks, Naruto recognized the mark of the sharingan present in both pairs of eyes which were now staring blankly ahead.

Once again, Naruto found himself amazed at one of the sharingan's unparalleled ability: _Genjutsu._

 

* * *

 

**_2:55AM – “Flashback” **_ **

 

If there was another skill she wished she had inherited from her father, it was his ability to suppress his emotions. Sarada wrapped her own arms around herself, rocking herself slowly while seated on her bed. She was on the verge of anxiety. It was her greatest weakness – her emotions being magnified to almost paralyzing levels. She often desired to cast a genjutsu upon herself to calm down. Most of the time, however, she didn't have to. She always needed only time to regain control. She had never suffered an anxiety attack before, _thankfully_ , and she would never let herself go through one. _Especially not now_. 

The worst part of not knowing was being unable to act. She just overheard a team of regular shinobi talking to her parents at least half an hour ago. _Something happened in Boruto's place and Sakura was desperately needed_.  And despite Sarada's non-inherited, undisclosed expertise in eavesdropping, she was unable to hear what exactly took place.

No one ever called Sakura at this hour unless the situation was dire, and Sarada could not help but think of the worst.

 _'Just call me whenever you need anything!'_ She remembered Bolt telling her.

Should she? Sarada's mood lifted at the idea, but she soon decided against it. _If he needed me or if he wanted to tell me anything, he'd be here._ She knew there was absolutely no way she would be able to rest. She stared at the clock, _2:59AM_. _Damn, I'm so screwed, aren't I?_ If she was being sent outside Konoha in the morning, she should have the right to know what happened at Bolt's place at least before she left, _right_?

Sarada then settled at a resolve, she would storm right into the hospital and find out for herself, confronting her parents if she had to.

Without second thought, she dashed across the room to retrieve her backpack, quickly stuffing it with scrolls, weapons, her medical kit, and a notepad, before leaving it behind her door. She quickly grabbed the coat she received from Boruto as a gift and hid her new mask under it, hanging them on a hook just above where her backpack was set. After making sure she had prepared everything she would need for her mission with Mitsuki, Sarada left her room.

Despite her status, she was still prohibited from wandering through the village at this hour. She decided against pretending to do her shift disguised in her Anbu uniform, unlike previously. This time, she could only rely on her ability to evade notice.

Before Sarada approached the end of the street, however, she knew she had to abandon her plan of remaining hidden -- two masked figures were carelessly speeding through, leaping from one rooftop to another. She didn't even have to ponder on it -- if they were doing a regular inspection, they would not be in a hurry. If they were doing a regular inspection, they would have noticed her.

_But they didn't. Sarada decided to follow them._

 

Their direction was pretty straightforward. They were heading toward the entrance gates. Sarada kept a distance while following behind them, her hand reaching for a shuriken from the pouch hanging around her thigh. She shifted her gaze toward the village guard house. _No one_. These Anbu guards knew or intended this post to be empty tonight.

As soon as they landed on the ground before the gates, she threw the shuriken around them like a boomerang -- catching it mid-air.

One major flaw of her prodigious visual jutsu was this -- it required eye contact. She needed to make her targets stare at her straight in the eye. And there was no better way to do this other than sneaking in for a surprise.

As soon as they recognized the sharingan-wielder, they attempted to shield their eyes. But as expected, the Hokage's only child was too quick and it was already too late. Sarada dropped the hand seal and took a few steps forward,

_"Genjutsu."_

 

Their arms dropped to their sides and their heads bowed down. Sarada stopped between them and contemplated on removing the mask. _Maybe not yet._

"Where are you headed for?" Sarada asked,

"The underground river, at the forest near the Land of Waves,"

Sarada wasn't surprised at all. Her eyes continued to inspect them, soon discovering a familiar piece of fabric poking out of one of their coats. Before she could take their masks off or inspect the fabric they had with them, she turned to deflect a kunai flying toward her. Once again, Sarada reached for her pouch, taking out two invisible tracking seals which she hastily placed on the hypnotized Anbu behind her.

"Go find Kansuke and do as he tells you!" Sarada yelled at them, as three more Anbu guards jumped in front of her, the first of them motioning to release the others from her genjutsu.

Sarada quickly noticed and darted toward him, tackling him to the ground. He failed to release them from Sarada's genjutsu and the hypnotized ninjas quickly fled from their sight, still under Sarada's control. As she fell to the ground with the ninja she just tackled, the second shinobi drew out his sword and directed it toward Sarada. She sensed this movement and looked up, but her strained visual jutsu left her body freezing and unable to dodge. To her surprise, however, the attack was halted mid-air. From behind her attacker, two snakes slithered and coiled around his arm and around the sword.

The third masked shinobi crept behind the one wielding the sword before removing his mask, revealing his own identity to Sarada.

 _"Mitsuki!"_ Sarada gaped at her teammate, who gave her nothing but a nod.

Mitsuki stared intently at the masked ninja between him and Sarada, whose body was now being constricted by a bigger snake, before kicking him to the ground. Sarada shifted her attention to one she had just tackled. He had already become motionless too, with three snakes coiling tightly around his limbs and his torso. Just to make sure, she locked her eyes with those of both unmoving ninjas, rendering them unconscious before turning to Mitsuki. Her pale, golden-eyed teammate reached out his hand to her to help her stand.

"You're getting less focused, Sarada. I was right in front of you," Mitsuki teased her panting teammate rather casually.

Sarada stared at him, bewildered for a moment, before speaking. "But that isn't yours," she pointed out, gesturing toward the mask Mitsuki was wearing earlier.

"I know -- had to carry a disguise every so often these past few weeks. You'll never know who to trust anymore."

Sarada watched him, waiting for him to say more. From the way her teammate was speaking, she felt as if he already knew as much as she did, if not more.

"So you're also suspecting something odd lately? Specifically in the squad?" Sarada asked, but Mitsuki simply looked at her, his expression looking a bit surprised, much to her dismay.

"No, not really… although I’m starting to be suspicious now with all that’s happened. I am sorry if I haven't told you or Bolt anything, and Lord Eighth agreed not to say anything about it either -- I already quit the Anbu five weeks ago, so I don't really know anything," Mitsuki knelt between the two unconscious figures lying next to them, before taking their masks off. "Aki and Haru."

"Why? And... how -- " Sarada merely observed her teammate, surprised at what he just said.

"Boruto's mom -- she asked me to quit. She knew something was wrong so she asked me a favor," he answered, while hoisting Aki and Haru on his shoulders. "She asked me to guard your family and look after your territory -- to watch out for any threat."

"My family? Auntie Hinata asked you to do that? Why? Why would she ask you to look after our family and not theirs?"

"Like I said, she knew something was wrong," Mitsuki carelessly slumped both unconscious bodies behind a tree and Sarada did not protest. Mitsuki's snakes would suppress their chakra well enough to hide them from sensory nin for at least a few hours. "Have you ever wondered why Lord Eighth refused to assign personal guards for your family and for himself? And why he refused to assign an ANBU commander?"

Sarada sighed. Of course she had always known her father’s reasons. But it was no longer as simple as that, she supposed. They had been unguarded for two years already, ever since her dad became Hokage. _Why did Auntie Hinata feel the need to ask Mitsuki for the favor now?_

"With you and Bolt being in Anbu, she needed someone to look out from outside the squad, someone who wouldn't get caught in the middle of it. If either of you suddenly quit, they will become suspicious. They tend to be less watchful of me, however, and we're using that as an advantage.”

"So has Auntie Hinata been keeping an eye on us after all this time too?"

"Yes, although I don't think she would want your parents to know," Mitsuki took out a thin sheet paper and a pen from under his coat, and began scribbling. "I take it that with the Seventh gone she took it upon herself to look after your family, just like how her husband had always done."

"She’s also had her own suspicions then, I suppose. Something happened down at their place a while ago. Do you know anything about it? Because I haven't heard from Bolt," Sarada’s voice shuddered with worry, as she silently hoped her teammate could fill her in with any information.

"No. Is it something I should be worried about?"

"I don't know. I’ll be looking into it right now, and I’ll tell you everything I am able to gather," Sarada scanned the area around them one last time before deactivating her sharingan.

"Yes, thank you, Sarada. I just need to make sure these -- " Mitsuki motioned toward the bodies his snakes were still coiling around, " -- will be taken care of properly before we leave later. I'll be at our training ground two hours before sunrise."

"Okay, I'll see you. The two Anbu I placed under my genjutsu, I believe they're on their way to Kansuke. I was able to place tracking seals on them. They wouldn't have gone too far by then." Sarada looked beyond the Konoha gates,

knowing they would soon be trekking the same path.

"Brilliant, Sarada, as always," Mitsuki grinned sincerely at her before putting his mask back on.

"Thank you, Mitsuki. You saved me tonight. I owe you one." 

“It was nothing,” Mitsuki gave her a quick salute, just like Bolt always did, before leaping off. And soon after, Sarada took a deep breath before dashing toward the Konoha hospital.

 

* * *

 

**_7:30AM_ **

 

At first glance, it seemed as if Himawari was sleeping while sitting on a chair, her head resting on Boruto's bed with her hand clutching his. Her eyes were open barely enough to watch over her brother. She hadn't slept and she didn't want to. She wanted to wait for her brother to wake up before she rested.

He had not moved yet ever since Himawari started watching over him. It had been three hours since. She used her Byakugan once in a while to monitor his chakra flow. He was recovering quite steadily, but not as rapidly as Himawari wanted. Nevertheless, she was thankful. Sakura said he was completely out of the woods and only needed to wake up now. 

Boruto still needed blood transfusion because of some minor internal bleeding, but other than that he was stable. Though he remained attached to a ventilator, Sakura was confident he would be capable of breathing on his own once he was awake. Himawari squeezed his hand every now and then, hoping it would wake him up. _No response_. But at least his hand already felt warm against hers.

_Only five hours ago, Himawari thought he was going to die._

 

Himawari stirred and straightened up when she heard three knocks on the door. She looked behind her to see her mom, Sasuke, and Shikamaru entering the room, both men briefly acknowledging her presence with a nod. 

"Himawari, thank you for looking after Bolt," Hinata whispered as she kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Sasuke, Shikamaru, and I just need to talk about something, and we can also look after Bolt at the same time. You need to rest."

She looked at her mother. Hinata looked tired and weary too, but her eyes continued to reflect an unbelievable, unwavering strength. A soft smile tugged softly at her mother's lips. Himawari did not understand how her mother remained resilient throughout everything that happened to them. “Yes, Mama. Thank you,” she smiled back softly at her mom, before standing up and bowing her head toward Sasuke and Shikamaru as sign of acknowledging their presence. She took one final glance at her brother before heading toward the door.

 

"I'm sorry about what happened, Hima."

As Himawari closed the door to her brother’s room, she looked up to see Shikadai standing outside, with his back leaning against the wall and his hands inside his pockets.

"Shikadai, I'm glad you're here, I was just about to... look for you," Himawari whispered while looking around them, checking if there were other people present near the area.

"Hm, I also intended to meet with you too," Shikadai glanced at Himawari, before taking out a note from his pocket. "I saw this on my window sill this morning. Does this handwriting look familiar to you?"

Himawari glimpsed at the thin strip of paper before carefully taking it from Shikadai. The purple ink glimmered and she had seen nothing like it before. The handwriting, however, was not new to her.

"Mitsuki's," she mumbled.

"I thought so too. Geez, that weirdo just assumed everybody knows his handwriting. _How troublesome_. Anyway, leaving a note meant he may be away from the village, but he said nothing about it here. These are only..." Shikadai pointed at the sets of numbers scribbled untidily on it.

"Coordinates," Himawari answered, her eyes scanning the paper intently.

"Yes. I have no idea what he wants me to find yet, but I really think you can help me. In return, I can help you with whatever you need,"

"That's a great idea. Your help is all I will need, Shikadai. I don't think I can do this myself," Himawari returned the paper to him and groaned, knowing she would be unable to get some rest any time soon.

"I know. I can't do this myself either. So are we ready? Should we go?" Shikadai hid the note back into his pocket and straightened up, stretching his arms in front of him.

Himawari nodded to him before she and Shikadai took off together, unaware of the plight that awaited all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you received two notifications for this, I'm not sure. But I deleted the first update and replaced it with this one, though having only minor changes.
> 
> I felt a bit uneasy writing Mitsuki only because I don't know him very well yet, the same goes for the kids in general, to be honest. I haven't read anything after chapter 699 and I've only seen Boruto: The Movie once (I can't even remember if that was the title *facepalm*). So yeah, feel free to point out any inconsistencies.


	8. The Day Naruto Died (Part 1)

**(FLASHBACK 1 of 3)**

 

1:19pm

 

The marketplace was busy as usual when the first incident happened – when the first scream rang through the crowd. The people fled without delay, with children being carried hurriedly to safety. Police forces were at the scene almost immediately.

It did not seem so dangerous at first; the commotion was caused by only one person. He was walking slowly, almost tripping over his own feet, with his mouth hanging open, his head drooping backward, his back crouched, and his arms hanging limply by his side. His steps were small and staggering, carelessly bumping on objects and knocking them over along the way.

They would’ve mistaken him for a hostile drunk man if it weren’t for two things – his eyes appeared to have rolled all the way into his head and blue marks glowed all over his arms and his face. They recognized him as Hakuseki, a regular in the place – a retired ninja, widower, and a father to one member of the regular shinobi force. Apparently, he threw random but fatal physical attacks on the people around him, showing both incredible speed and strength. As shinobi attempted to stop him through the use of ninjutsu, he held only an arm out and appeared to suck out immense amounts of chakra with his hand – an ability never witnessed in the village before.

“Dad! Stop this!” A young man with a Konoha headband tied around his neck yelled from the crowd, running toward the heart of the scene. The older man, Hakuseki, didn’t seem to have recognized his voice and tried to tackle an old lady to the ground. The younger man held up his hand, beginning to release chakra to restrain his father.

“Meiji! Do not release chakra!” Another ninja, belonging to the responding police force, called out but it was too late.

Hakuseki, having immediately sensed the release of chakra, quickly turned around and held his arm out. Out from Meiji’s hand, Hakuseki pulled a visible rod of chakra.*

“Wood-style release!” 

Between Meiji and Hakuseki, wood sprouted from the ground, wrapping around the older man’s arms. The rod of chakra snapped into two and Meiji fell to the ground, panting heavily with his hands clutching his chest.

“Tenzo! Hanabi and First Lady Hinata!” The captain of the responding squad was the first to see the three of them approaching. 

“What is this?” Yamato asked. He was already on his knees, conjuring hand seals, his eyes focused intently on Hakuseki.

“Those glowing marks on his arms and face, I’ve never seen them before, have you?” Hanabi asked Yamato, her Byakugan already activated. He only shook his head.

“That young man’s chakra had been gravely depleted. Someone get him out of there, now!” Hinata gestured to the other ninjas in the area, her Byakugan also already activated. She turned to her sister, “Have you noticed it yet? The older man doesn’t have chakra at all. His coils are completely empty.”

Hanabi examined Hakuseki from the distance. When she and Hinata noticed the commotion, they were expecting a brawl, just people’s anger boiling over personal problems or petty arguments, nothing connected to a foreign mark or a disturbance in chakra. Hanabi took a deep breath; her sister was right. The older man was completely void of chakra.

“Are you able to restrain him long enough to get him transported?” Hinata asks Yamato. “We need to know what is wrong with him.”

“Yes, Hinata. I can. His resistance is strong but not powerful enough to break through -- ”

“Mama!” Hinata looked up to find Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki landing behind them from the roof. “What is happening here? What’s with him?”

“No, don’t go near him!” Hinata yelled at Boruto, who already took a few steps with Sarada toward the bound figure. The old man was murmuring incomprehensible words and appeared to struggle tremendously against his restraints.  Sarada suddenly walked ahead of  Boruto, soon kneeling beside Hakuseki.

“Hakuseki. Around sixty-three years old. Retired ninja. No criminal history or prior record of any act of violence. Uchiha Sarada and Uzumaki Boruto, please step back. We need to take over,” the captain of the police force proceeded toward Bolt and Sarada, gesturing for them to leave.

“Wait, those marks he has,” Mitsuki sneaked behind him and tapped the captain on the shoulder. “You’ve never seen them, have you?”

“Mind if I look?” Ignoring the captain’s commands and the police force’s presence entirely, Sarada placed her hands on Hakuseki’s face and looked at his eyes, her jaw dropping at what she saw. Boruto grabbed her by the wrist but she didn’t let go. “Sharingan.”

Sarada leveled her eyes with his and kept this eye contact for a while, hoping to see something. She was tempted to break the contact when at first nothing seemed to happen. It didn’t take long, however, for Yamato to notice that Hakuseki’s resistance began to falter. Soon after, his limbs became limp and he closed his eyes.

“Sarada! What did you do?” Bolt asked his teammate, who didn’t seem to have realized what just happened.

Sarada jumped back, hastily releasing the old man’s head and suddenly deactivating her sharingan in surprise. “What? No! I didn’t do anything! What happened to him? Did I do something to harm him?” She felt herself sweating and her hands were suddenly cold and clammy. She stared at the seemingly unconscious figure in front of them.

Yamato, Hinata, and Hanabi approached them, and the First Lady placed a hand on Sarada’s shoulder. “No, his heart is still beating and he’s still breathing. I can see it. But he still doesn’t have any chakra in his system. There was no change in that at all.”

“Also, before they took his son away to the hospital, I didn’t see any gain in the younger man’s chakra. Or maybe he just doesn’t recover as quickly as most of us do. I can’t be sure. The amount of  chakra loss was quite distressing, however.” Hanabi stated.

“What did I do, though? Did I do anything to him without knowing it?” Sarada felt a knot in her stomach, sure that she did something to knock the man unconscious.

“Nothing we can pinpoint, really, except...” Mitsuki inspected the man closer, lifting his chin to expose the marks on his face and neck “... the marks stopped glowing the moment you stared at him with your sharingan.”

“I thought so too. And he stopped resisting altogether,” Yamato sighed. He tried to smile at Sarada just to assure the young woman that she hadn’t done anything harmful. “And then he fell unconscious. But we wouldn’t really know anything until we get him properly examined. I believe none of us has seen this before -- ”

“And we take over from here, then. Thank you for all for your help. Especially you, First Lady Hinata,” the captain bowed before Hinata, and then to all of them again as the rest of the police force and newly arrived medical team approached the scene. “We will prepare a full incident and medical report and hand it over to the Hokage as soon as we can. An emergency investigation team will also be dispatched  immediately,” he explained before turning his back. Hinata only nodded in response, hoping the case will be cleared as soon as she’d hoped.

Boruto and his teammates watched as Hakuseki is carried on a stretcher, his body still wrapped in Yamato’s jutsu. Soon, the squad disappeared through the crowd as  they headed their way to the Konoha hospital. Boruto and his team were certainly just left to wonder what the hell just happened.

 

* * *

 

 

 _Hokage tower  
_ 2:32pm

 

“So there is absolutely no record of that mark _anywhere_?” The Seventh Hokage rested his chin on his hands as his elbows rested on the table, his eyes focused on the report laid open on the table.

“Absolutely nothing, Naruto. We’re getting photos of it sent to the other villages, hoping they have any information on it, which is more likely than it being completely new or alien to everyone. It’s only a matter of time before we figure out where it is from,” Shikamaru said casually with his hands inside his pockets, as he stared down through one of the glass windows behind Naruto.

“But it emerged out of someone from our own village, someone who hasn’t gone beyond the gates for years, Shikamaru. At least that’s what his son tells us,” Naruto spun his chair so that he also faced the glass windows behind his desk.

“I was thinking an outsider could have inflicted it on him,” Shimakaru pointed out, to which Naruto just nodded.

“And we only have one case, so far?” Naruto asked, but before Shikamaru could answer, someone else entered the Hokage’s office.

“Three _now_.” Naruto and Shikamaru didn’t even have to look at the unexpected guest to know who he was.

“Sasuke, what are you doing here?” Naruto turned to face his friend, surprised at the sudden visit. Just a few days ago, Sasuke informed Naruto that he and Boruto would be making short trips outside the village as part of his training, and that Naruto should expect to see less of them for the next few weeks.

“To deliver the news, of course. Any reason I shouldn’t be here?” Sasuke asked, although he wasn’t really demanding a response. He swiftly removed his coat from which he took out two folders, which he handed to Naruto. He placed his coat over his shoulder. “Two new incidents – a retired female shinobi and a new male recruit to the medical force. Two completely separate events, happening only a few minutes apart. Both were determined completely void of chakra at the time of capture; identical case to the first one. No casualties but several others injured.”

“Any updates on the first case – Hakuseki and his son, Meiji?” Naruto asked.

“I was going to relay it to you in a bit. Can I ask for a little more patience here, _Hokage-sama_?” Sasuke smirked at the designation, to which Naruto just scowled. “Hakuseki – no chakra, miraculously alive but very weak. There’s absolutely no memory of the incident. Meiji – chakra loss seems almost permanent, he would be incapacitated for the rest of his life, unfortunately. But look at the brighter side of it, had he lost a little bit more, he would’ve died.”

“I didn’t know you were a messenger now, Sasuke, and a brilliant and trustworthy-looking one, to be honest,” Naruto sniggered.

“Shut up, Naruto,” Sasuke spat firmly, but with a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

“That isn’t the only reason you’re here Sasuke. What is it?”

“Hn. That’s correct. No investigation team or whatsoever is coming to report to you. I’m the only one,” Sasuke said as he laid a few more folders on top of Naruto’s desk.

“You requested to take over the investigation?” Naruto asked.

“No, not entirely. I just volunteered to assist them and then I requested to carry the message by myself, on my own. We can’t let the information be handled by a lot of people, especially when we have no lead. One case was already concerning. Two or three? That’s alarming. Those three incidents have left no less than ten shinobi possibly incapacitated for the rest of their lives.”

“I’m going to hold an emergency debriefing, just in case new incidents emerge. But mind you, considering the only techniques that have worked so far – we have _very little_ effective manpower,” Shikamaru exclaimed, as he headed his way toward the door. He had barely exited the room when someone else entered hurriedly.

“Hokage-sama,” a man in a green vest walked straight to Naruto’s desk, the lower half of his face covered with his collar, and his eyes shrouded with a dark pair of sunglasses.

“Shino! What brought you here?” Naruto stood up, surprised at the urgency his comrade’s body language displayed.

“Two new incidents, both at the academy – one male ANBU guard and a female instructor. Respondents were quick and they have been contained. But consider this – I took the opportunity to familiarize my insects with the scent and unique energy emitted by the marks on their body. My insects have been acting restless ever since, even after the marks on the subjects were neutralized,” Shino explained everything without pausing to take a breath. Naruto knew that whatever Shino had observed on his insects, he’d found it very upsetting.

“We were just getting the hint that more cases would most likely emerge now, and _here it is_ ,” Naruto shook his head, rubbing his hands together before taking the folder comprising of the academy’s incident report from Shino.

“I will take the lead in organizing the forces. You might as well give the ANBU a heads up now, Naruto, and if they’re willing, they can join us at the gates. Do what you have to, Naruto and Sasuke,” Shikamaru said, his expression seemingly disturbed by the news brought by his friend.

“Have Sai, Ino, and Chouji with you. As soon as they can take over for you, come back to us.,” Naruto told Shikamaru, knowing he still really needed the help and wit of his right-hand man.

“Sure. See you soon, three of you,” Shikamaru nodded at Naruto, Sasuke, and Shino, before making his way out of the room. As soon as the door had closed, Naruto turned to Shino.

“Shino, would you care to assist the investigation team? They would really benefit from your help.”

“I am more than willing, Hokage-sama.”

“Drop that, Shino. I told you just call me by name.”

“Heh, is that a command? Because if not, considering everything you’ve done, I can’t just drop the title,” Shino stated, his voice sounding unbelievably playful and teasing.

“Shino has a point, Lord Seventh,” Sasuke quickly added, to which he and Shino quietly chuckled to themselves.

“Shut it, Sasuke!” Naruto yelled, trying not to laugh as well. It was unbelievable, how these two managed to tease him at a time like this. Naruto couldn’t help but be amused at how often Sasuke seemed to do it these days. His once stoic friend seemed too entertained doing it every now and then.

Shino gave them a quick salute before silently heading off, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone inside the Hokage’s office. Naruto slumped back to his chair and Sasuke proceeded to sit on another at the front of Naruto’s desk. They appeared to deliberate deeply about the circumstances, before Naruto broke the silence.

“New cases, nothing seemingly stronger or more threatening than the first one. It’s not aiming to kill, it’s aiming to increase in number,” Naruto recalled, his arms resting at the back of his head, his eyes focused on the ceiling.

“Yes. Whether it’s in the number of those inflicted with the foreign mark or it’s in the number of able shinobi left permanently incapacitated after – I think it could be the latter, Naruto. The marks completely disappeared after they’d been neutralized. The victims are left just completely weak and harmless.”

“These people were just pawns, then,” Naruto straightened on his chair and rested his hands on the table as he leaned forward. “If someone is behind this, what is the intention? And why --  the sharingan? Could it be that they’re after  you, Sasuke?” Naruto looked at his friend.

“I’ve thought of that, but I don’t think so. Call me arrogant but if they were after me I was thinking they’d take a more direct and aggressive stance. My own daughter can undo the mark without breaking a sweat, Naruto. If there was anything, I think they don’t mind making it look like they’re aiming at me when they’re clearly not.”

“Hmm, that does make sense. All these weirdness in one afternoon is making my head ache! How is Sarada though? You don’t have to stay here while she’s out there. I can head down the field and help them investigate -- ”

“No. Sarada is fine. I already checked on her on my way here. She will be okay, she’s done it well.”

“Nothing less than you’d expect from an Uchiha then,” Naruto grinned, observing Sasuke at the corner of his eyes.

“And Boruto is with her, so she’ll be fine,” Sasuke smiled back. Naruto knew Sasuke saw great potential in his kid. Naruto saw it too, but he felt like Sasuke had really committed himself to guiding Boruto and Naruto wanted to know why. He could only guess, however.

“Whatever their intentions are right now, that isn’t the priority, I guess. We need to find out who and where they are, and how to deal with them really soon, before this gets out of hand,” Naruto said, before standing up to reach for the files and stack them over each other.

“Becoming the Hokage really made you a quicker thinker, didn’t it?” Sasuke eyed Naruto.

“I’ve always been quick, Sasuke. Maybe you would’ve noticed that before if you weren’t so busy insulting me back then,” Naruto teased.

“Maybe. Stop smiling like an idiot then,” Sasuke shook his head.

“Eh, you’re quick with compliments now too, aren’t you?”

“Psh. Just don’t let it get it to your head, Naruto.” Sasuke stood up from his seat, pulling his coat from his shoulder, and proceeded to wear it.

 

Deep into Naruto’s subconscious, the nine-tailed beast had been listening, also disturbed by the situation outside. Despite being contained inside Naruto’s body, he was capable of sensing extensively, especially chakra disturbances.

**_“Kit,”_ **

_“Kurama? What is it? Do you have anything?” Naruto quickly entered his own subconscious to meet with his sidekick._

**_“Hm, not much. But there is something… It’s small, barely noticeable at first but it’s there. A unique ball of energy – unstable chakra,”_** Kurama paused, he appeared to deliberate over what to say next ** _. “It is not very threatening but it is restless and constantly moving. It’s almost next to nothing, which is why neither you nor Sasuke has sensed it yet. Your sensory nin haven’t said anything either, have they?”_**

_“No. But we need to locate whatever it is, Kurama. It could be the first lead to all this non-sense. Should I use senjutsu now?”_

**_“No, not yet Naruto. You would not be able to sense it yet anyway. Leave it to me. I can’t be sure if this has anything to do with the cases being reported to you,  but I would be moving out to the field to find it out personally if I were you.”_ **

****

 

“Naruto, what is it?” Sasuke asked, noticing the sudden concern dawning on his friend’s expression.

“Kurama just talked to me. He can sense something we can’t – at least something we can’t sense _yet_. He said it’s almost negligible but somehow concerning,” Naruto answered, his eyes blankly staring at the door. 

“Hn. Well that’s how the incidents first started, didn’t it? From something barely dangerous, now growing into something a bit alarming.”

“Hmm, yes. Well if that’s the case then, Sasuke, we need to act now.”

 

* * *

 

4:47pm

Seventeen new cases scattered across the village. _Seventeen_ , so far, and _counting_. The organized team of responding shinobi had been acting quite efficiently – keeping the injuries down to minimal and so far succeeding in limiting the number of casualties to _zero_. They tried using other techniques to contain and neutralize the attacks – _nothing_. Only Tenzo’s and the Uchiha’s kekke genkai’s had worked. Although clones were proving to be very useful, the sudden growth in the number of incidents would soon prove to be overwhelming.

An hour ago, the Hokage’s right hand man just raised the alarm level to _critical_.

Yamato kept himself upright against the exhaustion weighing him down. He was no longer in his prime but he had managed to contain every attack longer than he’d expected. No one would ever understand how exhausting the wood-release jutsu was and he almost dreaded using it every time. Right now, however, he had no choice but to keep these thoughts at bay. He held the seventeenth victim against the wall long enough for Sarada to neutralize the mark on his body.

As the young Uchiha waited for the victim’s resistance to wane, she felt herself slip. _Too tired_. She felt the body in front of her relax as her eyes trailed along the marks on his body. The glow was beginning to fade. _Done._ She stepped back, hoping to find herself somewhere to seat or lean against, but she’d barely managed a few steps when both her vision and her legs simultaneously gave up.

“Sarada!” Boruto was by her side just in time to catch her before she fell. “Hey, Sarada, what’s wrong?” He took off her glasses and moved her hair away from her face.

“Too tired,” she answered, almost too softly for Boruto to hear her.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry we couldn’t really help you. I’ll bring you to the hospital so you can get some rest, is that alright?” Bolt untied Sarada’s headband and placed it inside his pocket.

“No, no. Not at the hospital. Doesn’t have to be there. Just somewhere to rest… a bit.”

“No, Sarada. Bolt is right. It’s just ordinary chakra exhaustion but the hospital is the safest place right now. And your mom will be there, too. You’ll be fine, okay?” Hanabi knelt beside them, bringing an open canteen near Sarada’s lips from which she struggled to drink from. “Bolt, take her there fast. Mitsuki, go with them. Tenzo, you should rest too.”

“But if another instance like this occurs again, how are you going to handle it?” Yamato asked Hanabi.

“I… don’t know. Evacuate the area, I guess. But while there hasn’t been anything, don’t worry about it yet. Go to rest, even for a bit. We’ll inform the Hokage and Sasuke about this as soon as we can.”

 

* * *

 

 

4:52 PM

It had been half an hour ago when Naruto and Sasuke decided to split ways with the sensory nin they’d asked to assist them earlier. A large area would be covered that way – that was how they reasoned it out. However, they both knew it was only partly true. Only Kurama could sense it and it had been faltering so that locating it was next to impossible for the group of sensory ninjas. They also both feared it was only a distraction, to which Kurama protested. After careful deliberation, Naruto and Sasuke decided to go by the nine-tails’ decision to track it down.

They intended the sensory nin to go back to the heart of the village, just in case the threat decided to remain looming over Konoha, while Naruto and Sasuke attempt to lure it out, so far to no avail. An Anbu arrived before them – his message was clearly intended for Sasuke.

“Uchiha Sasuke, Hokage-sama. Word from Hanabi… ” An Anbu arrived before them – his message was clearly intended for Sasuke. “Your daughter is in the hospital right now.”

“What? Why? What happened?” Naruto was the first to react.

“Just chakra exhaustion. Uchiha Sakura said your daughter will be okay and that she only needs to nap. They’re together right now,” the Anbu answered Naruto’s question, although he was still addressing Sasuke.

“You go check on her, Sasuke. I’ll proceed with the search,” Naruto said, placing his hand on Sasuke’s shoulder.

“They said she’s fine?” Sasuke asked the Anbu, ignoring what Naruto had just said.

“Sasuke, you should go,” Naruto repeated. He was once again ignored.

“Yes, they said Sarada will be fine and that you wouldn’t have to check on her,” the Anbu looked at Naruto who just scowled at the statement. “They just want you to find the source of this as soon as you can because the only people who can deal with this right now, besides the two of you, are both down and weak. Tenzo has already been asked to leave and take a rest too. The only option we would have right now if new cases emerge is to evacuate.”

“I see – ”

“No, Sasuke. You still have to go see them. Your daughter has done so much already -- ”

“And _that much_ would mean nothing if we don’t find the source of this soon and the situation keeps growing,” Sasuke snapped.

“I know that,” Naruto sighed. “I didn’t say we would abandon this search, Sasuke. I will proceed and do the best I can. Go check on all of them, provide the necessary assistance especially if the sharingan is needed, and then join me again when you’re done.” Naruto held Sasuke by the arm and talked calmly, feeling the tension building up on Sasuke right now.

“You’re not about to do anything _stupid_ , are you, Naruto?” Sasuke took a deep breath and looked Naruto in the eye.

“No,” Naruto shook his head. “I don’t even have any lead right now for goodness’ sake Sasuke.”

“Except we do suspect that they might be luring me out, maybe in the hopes that we don’t face them together.”

“You are joining me as soon as you’re done. I’ll send word for you as soon as I find something.” Naruto exhaled heavily before smiling at Sasuke. “I am not going to do anything stupid, Sasuke, _I promise_. If I do, _I’d gladly hand my Hokage title over to you_.”

“Hn. You wish I’d accept.” Sasuke shrugged. He took one last look at Naruto before turning his back to follow the Anbu. “I’m only agreeing to leave because _I trust you so much right now_ , dead-last. Keep your word this time like you always do.”

_Naruto only smiled._

 

**(END of PART 1)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you didn’t see that flashback coming; I didn’t too! It just came out of the blue that I was going post the first part of it already. I can’t promise to have Part 2 in the next chapter. I might; I might not. I can’t predict myself so I won’t promise anything
> 
> I hope all those Sasuke–Naruto interaction made up for its complete lack in the first seven chapters. I had fun writing the dialogue between them. Those two are my babies so I felt like writing this chapter was a self-service more than anything (just kidding).
> 
> And yes, this whole plot is about Kawaki. I dread the thought of writing anything connected to the Kawaki panel but I had to. So there you go! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! <3 Please do tell me what you think of it too, both the good and the bad. つづく
> 
> * chakra is usually invisible but can be visible in massive amounts. I made it visible for a more dramatic effect.


	9. The Day Naruto Died (Part 2)

**(FLASHBACK 2 of 3)**

" _In the shinobi world it's not how you live, it's how you die.  
_ _A shinobi's life is not measured by how they live  
_ _but rather it's measured by what they accomplish before their death."  
_ _\- Jiraiya_

 

Worry and fear had always been pretty foreign to him even in the most upsetting situations, but this time he guessed it was different; these very emotions were now sitting disconcertingly in his gut and he did not even know why. He could feel Sarada's chakra perfectly – depleted, yes, but far from harm and definitely recovering more quickly than he was expecting. Even Sakura said he had nothing to worry about, and if there was anyone who had consistently and unfailingly put Sarada's safety in top priority, it was his wife. When it came to their daughter, he trusted Sakura way better than he ever trusted himself.

His mind drifted back to the task he left his best friend with. When he fled they still did not have a lead. Sasuke knew the entire village trusted Naruto with their lives, but whom did they trust to watch Naruto's back for him?

 _Hinata and Shikamaru?_ Yes, but this time they weren't with him. _Sakura?_ After the Otsutsuki's attack against Konoha two years earlier, Naruto made her swear to look after the people, and only the people – never after him. _Sasuke?_ Maybe, but he had just asked him to leave.

Sasuke picked up his pace as he headed toward the hospital.

One thing he learned – from all the tragedies he had the misfortune of facing – was that every difficult situation, when confronted singlehandedly with the absence of anyone to depend on, almost always did not end well, no matter how unparalleled someone was.

He never stopped wondering how things would have turned out if Itachi had someone else to support him on that ill-fated night. He might have not really known Jiraiya well, but he later learned of the fall of the Toad Sage when he decided to face the Six Paths of Pain on his own. When Naruto became Hokage, Sasuke also could not help but ponder on the fates of the Third and the Fourth Hokages – how they took all the responsibility to themselves, all the while knowing it would very well end in their deaths.

When he reflected upon Naruto's request to help him in his dream of changing the world for the better, Sasuke pledged to himself – although he bestowed highest honor to self-sacrifice, if he could forestall it, he would.

He believed that it was only for this very reason that destiny allowed him to live after everything that he had done – that when he decided to grant Naruto's request of lending him support, he'd found his only remaining purpose.

 

* * *

 

As soon as Sasuke had left, the beast residing deep inside Naruto's subconscious bellowed, making the Hokage shudder for the first time in years.

The presence of the beast, which had long been undisturbed, was growing alarmingly warm. The last time the nine-tails' chakra boiled in anger rather than strength, was when he and Naruto fought.

" _What is it, Kurama?"_

The beast grunted, its eyes shut and its head resting lazily on the floor.

" _ **Suddenly, as you were left on your own, the mixed chakra I was telling you about became excited, moving in a manner that seems to be taunting me. I hate being taunted; it's beyond insulting."**_

" _Don't worry. We'll get to the heart of it. Can you locate it?"_

" _ **Yes. It has grown significant enough for me to track it, as if on purpose. Also, it is moving at the speed of an ordinary human. I think it wants you to follow it, Naruto."**_

" _Me? It won't even let me feel it,"_ Naruto said in disbelief, as his senjutsu failed to discern anything worth noting.

" _ **Yes, but it still makes sense – it only reaches out to me. Think about it, Kit, who else in this village has a tailed beast besides you?"**_

Naruto remained silent as his mind raced. He could not think of anything else to do besides confronting it. He debated with himself – if going alone was a wise idea. The fact that the presence only made itself deliberately known to him once he was alone told him it was the only way. Sasuke would join him soon and he knew the opportunity to meet the perpetrator face to face would slip once his teammate arrived.

Naruto fully entered his subconscious, raising his fist toward Kurama. The beast opened one eye and sighed, before straightening up and looking at Naruto with the same understanding they'd always shared for years. Kurama raised his fist in the same manner and they connected. Both of them smiled.

Outwardly, only Naruto's eyes changed – a mix of yellow and orange, dancing together like fire. And then there it was, as visible to him as the sun – small but bright and burning, blue, white, violet, and gold. And the sound it made, as loud as a troubled eagle – chirping, zapping, ripping, and crackling. It filled his ears, and Naruto finally understood what the nine-tails meant when it said it felt provoking. The restless ball of energy was _waiting_.

" _It is definitely not showing signs of heading toward Konoha, toward where the people are,"_ Naruto stated. _"Shifting only in random directions right in front of us,"_

" _ **See, Kit? This is different, far from nature energy. If we get closer, we can determine if it has anything to do with the tailed beasts' chakra, it seems almost as troubling and distressing to me."**_

Naruto nodded and set off, heading straight to the source. As long as he could keep this presence away from his village until he'd solved it, he felt at ease. Keeping Konoha whole was his only priority, nothing else, and he knew he had a lot of competent and dependable people to trust it with.

* * *

"How is Boruto doing, Hokage-sama? Still struggling to prove himself worthy under your shadow?" The voice of a young man met Naruto's ears as soon as he reached the location of the disturbance – right in the middle of a forest near the outskirts of Konoha.

The Seventh Hokage looked up and stared straight at the young man sitting nonchalantly on a branch. He appeared to be around Boruto's age. His hair was jet black, under which it was shaven and blonde in color. A dagger-like tattoo crawled up his face toward his left eye and a pair of piercings adorned his right eyebrow. But what immediately caught Naruto's attention was the elaborate black sigil tattoo spread across the young man's left body – his face, chest, and arm – which looked strikingly similar to the tattoo Boruto had, except this young man's mark glowed red every time he spoke, something Boruto's didn't do.

It did not take too long for Naruto to recognize him. This was the kid Boruto always helped back in the academy – their class' dead-last. Supposedly orphaned at a young age, from parents no one really knew and no one really asked about, he used to isolate himself. He had shown early hostile behavior but Boruto gave him a chance and made him his friend. After they became genin, they never really had the chance to continue their close friendship. But Naruto remembered how Boruto still spoke about him occasionally, saying this boy had potential because he was actually smart and very inquisitive – a natural strategist, as he called him – and that his only weakness was that he considerably lacked chakra.

Naruto examined the boy from a distance. Compared to his son, this young man really was still short of chakra, possessing even less of an average shinobis'. Was he really the one responsible for all of this?

"Kawaki," Naruto called back to him, causing him to look a little surprised.

"You still know me? You remember my name?" Kawaki shifted in his seat before standing on the branch.

Naruto only just noticed that Kawaki kept his right hand hidden inside his black vest trench coat, exactly where Naruto could feel the unique energy.

"So they still do talk about me, don't they? The _talentless freak_ ," Kawaki said, utter disgust evident in the manner he spoke, without any intention to hide his repulsion.

"No. But I've heard remarks that you were actually very intelligent, able to come up with ideas even the top of your class could not," Naruto blatantly and sincerely stated. "It was just that you never really bothered to perform well in class."

"Hm. When you're surrounded by bloodline geniuses who never had to do so much to succeed, while you have to do everything and never get any recognition, why even bother struggling?" Kawaki shot a glaring look at Naruto, before looking far ahead of him above the trees and beyond the mountains. His right hand remained hidden inside his coat.

"I'm sorry if you felt that way," Naruto said.

"No need to feel sorry for me now, Lord Seventh – I eventually picked myself up. Life only truly began for me when I became genin, it was then a steep upward journey for me afterwards, even after I decided I would not strive to go up the ranks. My abilities weren't exactly the type people tend to appreciate during the age of the shinobi, so I used it all for myself… as you can see now," Kawaki said, as he began to reveal what he'd been hiding in his right hand.

He pulled out what looked like a small glowing scroll, blue – almost the exact same color of marks on the victims' bodies. From its original small size, it grew bigger in the open. It looked hologramic, and from inside it Naruto was certain – restless energy swirled around violently.

"At the start, I proposed for Bolt to join me in my quest for innovation, progression, evolution – whatever you want to call it," Kawaki said proudly, while eyeing the scroll. "I wasn't convinced he was going to join me in Katasuke and Kosuke's* experimentations, seeing how his father –" Kawaki looked at Naruto, " – was vocally against their experiments. But he did."

"I knew. From the very start Boruto was very open to me about it," Naruto said.

"Yes, and to be fair to him, he was only interested in facilitating advancements that would have helped the village, while also hoping to influence Katasuke and Konsuke to align their experiments with your vision," Kawaki said. "He had no idea my intentions went way beyond that. In the end, I realized our goals just weren't the same, and so it did not really bother me when our ways gradually parted."

"Bolt only stopped after the group started experimenting on a living human body – his body. The tattoo on his right side was inflicted on him without his consent. I never found out if you played any part on it; he refused to say anything against you because he also honestly didn't know," Naruto said.

"I did not play any part on it! I knew he did not want any of it. Only I sought it," Kawaki raised his arm, as if to show Naruto the black mark and how it glowed a bloody shade of red. "I stopped them from doing any further modifications on him. Of course he did not need it, being an Uzumaki and all. I, however, was just a _nobody_ , and will remain that way if I did not do anything."

Kawaki raised his palm toward Naruto, from whom a rod of yellow and orange chakra seemed to protrude before being sucked back into Naruto again. The nine-tailed beast felt the pang of it as much as Naruto did, but not a bit of chakra was absorbed. Kawaki didn't look surprised at his failed attempt.

"Of course I knew I could not do it," Kawaki said, as he casually shrugged it off. "But I did not expect that not even an insignificant amount of chakra will disconnect from you, and I will need way more than that. It's this problem that kept me stalling my plan for months – you're just too strong."

Naruto ignored the failed attempt to suck a bit of the nine-tails' chakra. He was aware that chaos continued inside Konoha and that he needed to know how this young man was doing it and what for. From how he was acting, it also seemed like he did not meet with Naruto for battle. He obviously had something else in mind.

"I had forbidden further experimentation immediately after what happened to Boruto and I made sure the laboratories remained inaccessible to anyone - "

"Yes, because this type of advancements did not sit well with you, Lord Seventh," Kawaki retorted.

"It did not sit well with me, and the council, and the rest of Konoha," Naruto said firmly and calmly.

Kawaki sighed. "You know, Lord Uzumaki, we aren't so different from each other. We both mean well. If you are not convinced that I don't mean overt harm, look at the current situation – _zero casualties,_ " Kawaki jumped down from the branch but he did not advance toward Naruto. "You want peace; I want equality. I think both can work well together, can't they? But like me and Boruto, you and I – our goals are not the same, and I don't think you will ever understand."

"And how do you plan on bringing this equality you speak of – by robbing everyone off their chakra?"

"In a way, yes, and eventually bring an end to the age of the ninja altogether without ever killing anyone. You have to commend all the effort it took me to develop a technique that leaves _no one_ dead." Kawaki spun the scroll in his hand as it sparked every now and then, signaling the addition of new chakra being transferred into it.

"You did this all by yourself?" Naruto asked.

"Hm, no. For some time I was alone, but eventually, I learned that there were other people who wanted to work with me for the same purpose. I don't think you have to know who they are, but they're responsible for most of the commotion happening inside the village right now," Kawaki said.

When Naruto remained silent, Kawaki continued. "After you dismantled the laboratories, I did not stop. Rather, I took it as a challenge. I quietly and humbly approached people who were masters in their field, gathering very important information," Kawaki placed the scroll back inside his coat, rubbing his palms together as he proceeded to recall. "I sought sources about kinjutsus, the chakra circulatory system, senjutsu, tailed-beast energy, fuinjutsus, medical ninjutsu, dojutsus, and countless other techniques. I made sure I only asked just barely enough, so as not to raise any suspicion. In the end, no one figured out that my purpose was beyond personal advancement," Kawaki said, a smirk beginning to play on his face.

"And this was the _purpose_ you came up with? Ending the age of the ninja – that if no one had chakra, everyone was just going to be equals? If so, your victims are not just pawns and your plan is being carried out smoothly inside the village. Why meet with me? Surely you didn't come to fight me," Naruto asked.

"Of course not, that will surely guarantee my death. But even that was pretty calculated. You will not kill me; I made sure you won't. Uchiha Sasuke may not hesitate to get rid of me, but you won't let him. I've studied you well, Lord Seventh, and I probably know you better than your own son ever will." A wide, sinister smile appeared across his face, as if he was on the verge of laughing. Whatever Kawaki was thinking, he was probably convinced his plan was going very well.

"Sasuke will be here soon so if there's anything you wanted to tell only me, I am listening. What exactly do you want from me?"

"Your cooperation," Kawaki said unashamedly, his hand reaching into his coat, revealing the glowing scroll again. He waved it in front of Naruto. "This seal can only store so much. I've already utilized all the energy my team and I have meticulously gathered and artificially reformulated during the past two years into this small scroll. We can spend year after year improving it but our efforts can only bring about very insignificant change, whereas a reasonable amount of the tailed-beast chakra can eliminate almost every limitation it has now."

"So you weren't trying to steal my chakra," Naruto said, shaking his head in realization, "You need some of it for your plan to work on a wider scale. What made you think I will cooperate? What have you planned to cause me to oblige?"

Kawaki chuckled almost sarcastically, as if he just remembered something funny. "Whenever people think about the name _Naruto Uzumaki_ , they always associate it with the young lad who always claimed that his greatest strength was his will to protect people. You still believe the same thing about yourself, do you, Hokage-sama?"

"Go straight to the point," Naruto commanded through gritted teeth. Explosions coming from inside his village shook the earth beneath him and he knew that the longer this lasted, the harder it would be to contain the mayhem.

"I figured that your greatest strength can also be your most crucial weakness – the devotion you have for the people, that is," Kawaki smirked.

"It's been the will to protect them that placed me where I am now, and it will always be the reason I stay and fight," Naruto countered.

"And it is the same will to protect the people that will force you to put your guard down against me. The premise is simple, Lord Hokage. If you don't lend me the chakra I need, your people will die," Kawaki said, as he started to advance toward Naruto. This young man's body language communicated only sheer confidence, not a trace of uncertainty could be heard in his voice. "For the same reason, you also cannot kill me. Refuse to cooperate, your people die; get rid of me, your people die. See, my life is tied with the lives of the people we've already marked. As long as I have this scroll sealed and active, they're in my hands."

As Naruto tried to contemplate what Kawaki meant, he felt himself being pulled back into his subconscious.

" _ **Naruto, I've been doing my best to discern the nature of the sealed scroll he is using,"**_ the nine-tailed beast pointed out, its demeanor seemingly more composed now than earlier. _**"It is, as he claims, reformulated – a successful mixture of different elemental and nature energies, making it able to contain any form of chakra inside it. However, its final form initially lacked the tailed beasts' chakra so that it remained very weak for use."**_

" _Initially?" Naruto asked._

" _ **Yes. It seems like they've only recently added a portion of the eight-tails' chakra to it, which made it strong enough to be functional,"**_ Kurama answered.

"So you've already stolen some of the eight-tails' chakra and I'm assuming you're also after the rest of the tailed-beasts' chakra," Naruto asked Kawaki.

" _Hachibi's_ chakra, yes. It wasn't a complicated task since we knew we could put up a fight against its jinchuuriki – making it look like we're after abducting him when we only needed a small portion of its tail. _Too much chakra at once would've broken the seal_ ," Kawaki said.

"So it was your group that was behind what the Raikage described as a random and lame attempt at abducting Bee, those disguised as weak bandits that never came back?" Naruto asked, remembering the drunk-tale the Raikage briefly mentioned to him at one gathering they'd had.

"Ah yes," Kawaki said, waving his hand as if brushing off the subject and looking uninterested. "Obviously we can't do the same approach with you," he paused, looking somewhat disappointed. "Like I said – you're just too strong. Fighting you is like a suicide attempt. The same goes with the other beasts, facing all of them in their pure form will be risky, and besides, a portion of the _kyuubi's_ chakra will suffice. None of the others' chakra will achieve what the _kyuubi_ 's can."

Naruto heard the nine-tailed beast grunt, obviously taking the remark as both a compliment and a challenge, before speaking to him again.

" _ **Unfortunately, Naruto, I can also confirm that everything else he'd said earlier is true. The lives of everyone they have inflicted with his mark are connected with his. As long as the seal is active, killing him kills them too, while he also retains the ability to get rid of them without killing himself,"**_ the nine-tailed beast cited before attempting to assess the presence of similar energy inside Konoha. _**"Kit, this kid is no joke. It seems like a very thorough plan on his part...**_

_**I'm sorry to break it to you, Naruto, but at this point it looks as if only a third of Konoha remains unmarked."** _

 

* * *

_Konoha Hospital  
_ _Dusk_

"Papa, I'm fine," Sarada whined while her father awkwardly touched her arms, trying to make it look as if he knew what he was doing. "If you need to go somewhere else, you can. You know there's nothing wrong with me and you're only prodding me now for show."

Sasuke stopped with an upset look on his face. Sarada looked at him and realized what she just said before scowling.

"Papa, I did not mean it like _that,_ " Sarada sighed. "You don't have to do this to show me you care. I know that already and it's now very apparent that I'm beyond recovered."

"Hm, your daughter is right, Sasuke," Sakura stated blatantly while watching them. "What are you touching her arms for anyway?" Sakura giggled and Sasuke groaned, feeling like an idiot. "In fact, I think the police forces can really use her help now. She just needs few breaks in between to make sure she doesn't overdo it."

Sasuke shook his head before looking down. They did not really have a choice. Sarada and Sasuke were the only ones capable of deactivating the markings. Since Sasuke needed to help Naruto, only Sarada could perform it.

"Sasuke, where is Naruto? Have you found out anything yet? It won't stop; it already left a concerning number of people entirely chakra-depleted without being sick and we can't find answers as to how this is possible," Sakura whispered, her voice sounded a bit worried.

"We only have a minor lead – an unusual presence looming outside the village, and the nine-tails is trying to track it down for us. Naruto is still out there," Sasuke answered. "How are they able to control the situation while Sarada is here?"

"They're focused on luring the marked victims somewhere that's been evacuated, and then keeping the people out of their reach. The forces have been efficient at it, so far. But the number of affected people keeps growing – thirty-seven was the last count I've heard. There's probably more now," Sakura said while looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

"So far without any casualty?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes, fortunately still without any casualty. I hope it stays that way," Sakura answered.

"Please do inform Shikamaru and the others that Naruto and I –" Sasuke glanced at Sarada, who was also listening intently at her parents' conversation. "We have a clue but it's not enough, and that it will probably take us longer to put an end to this."

Sakura nodded, her lips pursed. There were a lot of things that concerned her and she had a number of questions she wanted to ask. Somehow, part of her wanted to go with Sasuke and Naruto to help them, but she knew her responsibilities now remained at the hospital.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help," Sakura told Sasuke as he got up.

"No, you've been taking care of all the wounded. That's all that can be looked after right now and your team is doing all of it," Sasuke turned to face his wife. "Don't burn yourself out, Sakura." Sasuke gave her a reassuring smile.

"I won't. Thank you, Sasuke. Take care of yourself out there. And please do look after Naruto, too. He tends to… you know," she said before she stopped herself from saying more.

Boruto was watching them from the other end of the room, with Mitsuki standing right beside him. "Uncle Sasuke," Bolt whispered while Sasuke was getting ready. It was too soft that if Sasuke wasn't expecting Boruto to talk to him, he wouldn't have heard it.

"Yes?" Sasuke turned to the young man.

Bolt appeared surprised for a moment, and it took him a while before he spoke again. "Can you take me to my dad? I want to help."

Sasuke considered this for a while before dismissing it. "I'm not sure your father wants me to bring you along with me, Bolt. I am sorry. It's just that we haven't fully assessed the threat yet. Also, they might need your assistance here in Konoha."

"Papa," Sarada called her father's attention. "Boruto has been of great help to us. But he's really bothered not knowing where the Seventh is. Auntie Hinata and Himawari feel the same, but they're also busy keeping the people away from danger. Please reconsider taking Boruto with you," she said, reaching out her hand to hold Sasuke's wrist.

"I will stay by Sarada's side all the time so Bolt can go," Mitsuki added. Boruto grinned at him, before uttering _thank you_ at his team mate.

"Hn, I guess it can't be helped," said Sasuke.

As soon as his mentor agreed, Boruto got up, quickly grabbing his coat and his weapons. Sasuke gave both Sakura and Sarada a pat on the shoulder and turned to nod at Mitsuki, before heading towards the door.

"We'll see you as soon as this is over," Sarada called out to Boruto. "Make sure you return in one piece!"

"Yep," Boruto replied. "Mitsuki, keep a close eye on the goofheadand make sure she doesn't do anything too silly," he said, smiling at his team mates before he and Sasuke exited the room.

 

* * *

 

"I'll let another thing slip to help you decide what's best for _your people,_ " Kawaki sneered. "The majority of them have already been marked, and I've only been activating their seals one after another, in the hopes of prolonging the time I can distract your forces, as well as the Uchiha. But it seems like I can't keep the Rinnegan-possessor away for a long time."

Naruto's form relaxed as soon as he felt Sasuke's chakra approach. It did not take too long for him to realize that his son was coming too. Kawaki remained silent as they waited; the young man appeared tense. Naruto silently ran through all the information he had – he needed to find a solution to this soon. Also, with all the information Kawaki gave him, he did not know how much the young man would let Sasuke know. There was a reason he made sure he talked only to Naruto first, and Kawaki needed only Naruto's cooperation. He knew Kawaki considered Sasuke to be the biggest threat to his plans.

"Bolt!" Naruto yelled as soon as his son came to view. "Sasuke, how are they? How's the village?"

"Nothing to worry about. They have everything under control," Sasuke answered, his eyes fixed on the young man in front of them. "Who is this kid and what have you found out so far, Naruto?"

"I will be careful with what I do now, if I were you, Lord Hokage," Kawaki cautioned, his expression displaying his growing unease. "And I will advice the Uchiha and my friend to do the same."

"Kawaki, you…" Bolt advanced toward his friend but Naruto stopped him, holding out an arm to keep him from going nearer.

"He has almost the entire village under hostage, Sasuke. Everyone's lives are at stake. One wrong move and he can wipe the village empty," Naruto explained.

"The marks on their body," Sasuke muttered under his breath and Naruto nodded. "And he's doing this because he wants something from you?"

Naruto lifted his fist slightly toward Sasuke, who connected with him without hesitation. The dark-haired man nodded as he wrapped his thoughts around all the information Naruto shared with him; Kawaki remained oblivious to what just happened. As soon as Sasuke and Naruto disconnected, Naruto was pulled into the deepest area of his psyche.

" _ **Kit, there's a vital piece of information I withheld from you earlier because I knew Sasuke would insist in entering your mind,"**_ the nine-tailed beast spoke almost instantly.

" _You had to wait for the moment Sasuke and I shared information and disconnected from each other so that you can share it with me? Why – is it something you don't want him to find out?"_ Naruto asked.

" _ **Whether he should find out or not isn't for me to decide, it is yours,"**_ Kurama answered.

Naruto listened intently as the nine-tailed beast carefully led him through an answer, his heart racing and thrashing more heavily against his chest with every detail that was laid out to him. The voice of the beast drowned everything else around him for what seemed like a stretch of time, but he knew they spent barely a few seconds to arrive at a mutual resolution.

Another set of spontaneous explosions wracked the ground beneath them. Naruto focused at the scroll, which Kawaki had already hidden behind his vest. It started sparking ceaselessly and the chakra inside it was moving more violently as more chakra was added. Kawaki had just doubled his efforts in activating the marks on his victims.

Something flying swooped behind Boruto, aiming to land behind his neck but he felt it approach just in time to dodge it. The young blonde man flung himself sideways and rolled on the ground before standing up. It seemed to have disappeared in an instant and he looked around, trying to figure out where it went. Suddenly, it showed itself in front of him, ready to lunge right into his face.

"Boruto! Get behind me," Naruto yelled as he watched Sasuke grab Boruto away from the path of the attack.

"I think he is trying to mark me," Boruto said as he walked toward his father. "The victims I've talked to reported extreme discomfort at their napes, starting hours before the marks completely took over their bodies."

Kawaki jeered at Boruto, obviously annoyed at his failed attempt to place a seal on him. "I've been unable to mark those with naturally huge amounts of chakra because of how weak the seal started. But now that it has grown powerful enough, I can have you and both of your teammates. Maybe I'll start with them first, that's much easier – "

Before Kawaki could finish, a katana flew toward him, cutting through his left side before the blade planted itself into the tree behind him. "Touch my child and I will make sure you regret it," Sasuke threatened.

The young man cried in pain and hurled curses toward Sasuke whose Rinnegan had already been activated. "Maybe I already have," he spat.

"Sasuke, stop," Naruto placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and slowly pulled him back. "We can't attack, or many people will die. As Hokage I promise I won't let anything happen to your child, or to any other children in the village."

"And how exactly are you going to assure me now?" Sasuke snapped, waiting for an answer. When he did not receive any, he turned to see his blonde friend looking at him with a calm expression on his face.

_ooooo_

" _ **You did not miss it, did you? When Kawaki accidentally said something about how the seal can be broken,"  
**_ the nine-tails asked.

" _Hm, yes, I did not miss it. The moment it slipped from him, it never left my mind,"  
_ Naruto pondered over the exact words that escaped from Kawaki's lips earlier –

'Too much chakra at once would've broken the seal.'

" _ **Heh, Sasuke was right when he said becoming the Hokage made you quick,"  
**_ the nine-tailed beast teased, while Naruto chuckled to himself.

" _It's the only way we know of now, isn't it?"_ Naruto asked.

" _ **Yes, and it looks like we only have one shot at it. We can't gamble,"**_ the nine-tailed beast added. " _ **If we fail to break the seal, we'll just end up giving him the amount he needs to make his plan work. It will strengthen his seal and cut the portion I have, making it a bit trickier for me to break the seal again at one go."**_

" _At one go,"_ Naruto repeated, his voice shaking at the realization suddenly dawning at him _._

" _To give him everything, all at once – that is all we have to do, right?"_

The nine-tailed beast groaned in confirmation.  
" _ **Do you realize what that entails, Naruto? It's a huge price to pay."**_

" _At my end, the price is only one life for the life of many. But what bothers me is that I have to drag you into this, Kurama,"_ Naruto's heart sank.

He slowly lifted his gaze to meet with Kurama's eyes. Naruto was surprised to see the fox smiling softly back at him.

" _ **I'm the one you're concerned about? You're about to put your life on the line, Kit, and that's what you're bothered about? You are unbelievable, Naruto,"**_ Kurama said, shaking his head almost playfully. The fox watched as a tear escaped his host's eye. _**"Don't ever feel bad for me. This has always been the kind of life every tailed-beast led. People see us as nothing but chakra reserves, and we'll always be caught in a tug-of-war."**_

" _I'm sorry if I wasn't able to really change that,"_ Naruto whispered, barely audible enough for Kurama to hear.

Kurama raised his arm and softly nudged Naruto on his chest. _**"You're sorry for what? Fighting for the tailed-beasts' freedom and treating me as your comrade? This ultimate sacrifice is nothing if it means paying you back for everything you've done, if it means fulfilling your goal,"**_ Kurama paused, lowering his head so that it leveled with Naruto's. _**"There's only one thing I ask of you – that right now you think only about yourself, think about what you want, and what you think you should do. I will support you no matter what."**_

Naruto remained silent for a while, his eyes staring at the ground. He sighed heavily before speaking, _"This extraction, where both the beast and the host agree to separate – has it been done before?"_ he asked.

" _ **I don't think so."**_

" _But you're sure it is possible?"_

" _ **With you current strength and mine? I think so, yes."**_

Naruto smiled, _"That all I need to know – "_

" _ **Kit, it is going to hurt… a lot."**_

" _I know. It already hurts a bit now,"  
_ Naruto answered, referring to the sting in his eyes.

_ooooo_

"I'm sorry," Sasuke told Naruto, as soon as he realized he'd just snapped at him. His friend just beamed, pulling him further by the shoulder.

"Stay behind me," Naruto commanded, and when Sasuke did not follow, he stepped forward so that he was a couple of feet ahead.

_"However strong you become, never seek to bear everything alone. If you do, failure is certain,"  
_ _Itachi once told Naruto, as he stared at the blonde ninja with tainted eyes._

" _I am sorry, Itachi, but it looks like it's the only way,"_ Naruto thought to himself as he closed his eyes shut.

Naruto had never used it before, but he still remembered how to form the chakra barrier he devised for himself right after the Otsutsuki's attack two years ago. This circular barrier would trap an enemy with him inside as they fought, preventing them from causing damage outside the barrier. After performing the correct hand seals, a wall made of his own chakra rose around him and Kawaki, enclosing a huge area and separating them completely from Sasuke and Boruto.

Realizing what was happening, Sasuke dashed forward, his only remaining hand bearing the _chidori._ The Rinnegan-bearer drove the chidori forcefully against the barrier but Sasuke did not feel any resistance. The barrier only absorbed the attack.

"What is this, Naruto?!" Sasuke shouted at his friend, whose back was still turned against him.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I can't let you in. Only my chakra can pass through it," Naruto answered.

"What do you mean you can't let me in?!" Sasuke asked as he kicked the barrier furiously – nothing happened.

The barrier was growing thicker and it started looking a bit shrouded, as if seeking to conceal what would happen inside it.

Boruto watched, overwhelmed at the scene playing before him, before running toward the wall and beating his hands against it. "Dad! Let us in!"

Naruto's concentration faltered at the sound of his son's voice. His arms trembled and he felt himself weaken at the thought that this might be the last time he would talk to Boruto.

"Bolt," the Hokage said, trying his best to make himself sound calm and composed, his voice threatening to break and expose his current vulnerability. "You and Sasuke need to go back to the village and watch out for the worst. I don't know what may happen next, but the village needs you there."

"You're seriously asking us to leave?!" Sasuke asked infuriatingly, his voice riddled with disbelief.

"I need someone out there powerful enough to make sure the village is protected from further harm," Naruto explained.

"Then at least let us know what your plan is!" Sasuke yelled, activating his Rinnegan to look for a breach in the chakra wall. There was none.

"Just let me do what I can, please," Naruto pleaded almost in despair.

"Like doing everything on your own?! Was that your plan from the very start?" The Uchiha stepped back, hastily casting black flames to engulf the entire wall. The flames rose angrily against the barrier but as soon as the blaze reached its full power, it steadily died down.

"I'm not doing everything on my own! After I am done with this, it still won't be over. I need you to stay, Sasuke, so you can do the rest for me."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked, a pang of anguish shooting straight at his core. " _Bullshit,_ Naruto," he whimpered. "You promised you wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Well, I'm sorry if I can't keep one promise today," Naruto said.

Inside the barrier, Kawaki looked around. At first, he was completely flustered by what was happening. But as he listened to the two most powerful shinobi talking to each other, he began to grasp what they meant and what the current Hokage had in mind. The young man stared at Naruto in shock.

"You can't possibly be thinking of - " Kawaki said, his right hand pointed at Naruto. "You're not thinking of breaking the seal, are you?"

"Hm, I have to, and I'm sorry," Naruto took a few steps forward. "Listen to me. I am not doing this because I am against you or what you value. I am doing this because I don't want you to end up really harming a lot of people," the Hokage continued to speak even though the young man was trying to step away from him. "Doing so will only destroy you in the long run and leave you with nothing but hatred. I want you to realize there are other ways around it. Whatever I am about to carry out - it will leave your plan ruined but it will also leave you alive. Consider it as a second chance – someday you have to turn your back on your wrong ways."

"No, no. I can't, I wouldn't." Kawaki boasted. He looked at Naruto, then Sasuke, and then to his friend. "I'm too far gone."

"After this, Sasuke can show you that no one is ever too far gone to turn back - " Naruto continued to say, before he was stopped by the cries of his son.

"Dad! Please," Bolt was on his knees. His dad was the strongest man he'd ever known, and he never thought they would ever get caught in a situation like this. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. All Boruto could feel was that it was getting really harder to breathe.

At the sight of his child, Naruto bowed his head down. This time, he really couldn't stop the tears from escaping his eyes. "Boruto…"

"Mama and Hima…" Bolt choked. He tried his best to focus at his dad's figure, the clouded barrier between them gradually making it impossible for him to see his father's face. "They will be waiting for you at home."

"I'm sorry, I know. Bolt, I will try my best. But if ever I don't make it… can you tell them I'm sorry - "

"Naruto!" Sasuke's voice rang out, and Boruto screamed against the force that just struck him.

The barrier violently expanded instantaneously, thrusting both Boruto and Sasuke away while the whole area was completely engulfed in smoke. The intensity tore against his skin and debris hit every inch of his body.

 

And as they both hit the ground several miles away, the last thing Boruto heard was his father telling him he loved him.

**(END of PART 2)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta’d. Unedited. Believe me when I tell you I did everything I can to limit this flashback into two chapters, but I really can’t. The continuation will still be long enough for another chapter. I will post the third part soon.
> 
> I will go over through this again later or tomorrow, just to edit and improve some parts of it. It will mean a lot if you do take the time to tell me what you think about it, both the positive and negative. I’ll try to get back to all of you through PMs as soon as I can. To the guests who posted reviews, I can’t send a personal message so I can just thank you here – Thank you for your feedback! They are deeply appreciated.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, although I feel like the whole Kawaki plot was still a bit far from decent. It was the best I can come up it! つづく


	10. The Day Naruto Died (Part 3)

**(FLASHBACK 3 of 3)**

The smoke covering the entire area suffocated him while he ran senselessly deep into the woods. _They shouldn't be too far from here._ His mentor followed closely behind, making no attempt to stop him. Sasuke was yelling something to him but his ears were still too busted to understand a thing – _that_ or he just didn't bother to listen.

Almost frantically, he looked around as he reached a clearing – _nothing_ , just smoke everywhere from his own father's doing. Sasuke landed right behind him, firmly placing his hand on the young man's shoulders. Boruto quickly shoved him off.

"You can feel his chakra! Tell me where he is!" Boruto shouted, smoke quickly filling his lungs.

"I can still sense his chakra but I cannot locate him," Sasuke replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

"You were able to detect him from across dimensions before! Now you can't?" Boruto asked as he stepped closer toward Sasuke, his eyes scanning him for a sincere answer.

"I don't know why I can't, Bolt. Must be the barrier preventing me from tracing him," Sasuke mumbled as he raised both hands over his mouth in utter frustration. He could only imagine how his student felt – probably ten times worse than how he was feeling now.

Without realizing it, Sasuke began pacing. Boruto watched, slowly facing the fact that the most powerful man alive in the world right now, besides his father, was just as clueless as he was.

"Why would he do that?" Boruto muttered, not really waiting for a response.

Sasuke looked at his student, who was already staring dumbfounded at the ground. His heart sank. He remembered the night he felt most helpless as a child – the first time he suspected something was wrong as he raced back to the Uchiha compound. He remembered the feelings of foreboding swallowing him whole even before he found out what happened to his family.

Now he was watching as another child anticipated for the worst.

Blasts roared in succession like thunder, all of them coming from Konoha, and there was nothing Sasuke or Boruto could do but look up at the sky toward its direction. Whatever Naruto was doing, or _saying_ , it was enraging Kawaki and he was taking his wrath out on what the Hokage cared for the most – the village.

"Go back to the village!" Sasuke yanked Boruto as his right eye turned red and three tomoes spun into place.

"What?! Hell no! I'm not leaving!" Bolt tried to pull away, his blue eyes glaring back at his mentor's sharingan. "If I refuse to go, what are you going to do? Force me to leave with your genjutsu?!"

"No. I'm not asking you to leave. I'm asking you to get backup – a search team. It's about time we inform the shinobi forces about what's really happening now, even without the Hokage's orders," Sasuke said, his features softening as Boruto's resistance relaxed.

The Hokage's son stared at Sasuke for a moment with the most despairing eyes the raven-haired man had ever seen. "Then I can come back? With them?"

"Do what you have to, Boruto. It is up to you. You know what's best for you," Sasuke answered sincerely, to which Boruto just nodded.

The young man said something to Sasuke before he ran but another set of explosions drowned his voice. As he disappeared into the woods toward the direction of Konoha, Sasuke thought he heard Boruto thank him for looking after his father.

* * *

Inside one of the abandoned monumental halls, over which the Hokage mountain towered, the people took shelter. What began as an unusual, isolated case grew rapidly; the incident that first occurred to strangers managed to reach their own homes, eventually victimizing their fathers, brothers, sisters, and children, although most of them were shinobi. The people took heart in the fact that the injuries being caused were far from fatal, although the resulting permanent lack of chakra was still very disconcerting. With the situation still intensifying almost relentlessly, no one had the courage to wonder what effect this incapacitation would inflict upon the village.

The children and the youth amongst those taking refuge watched in awe as the Hokage's wife calmly and sensibly relayed commands to the shinobi force in charge of gathering the people to safety, occasionally lending a hand to the medics whenever someone injured was brought inside. Hinata Uzumaki's gentle and composed demeanor stood out, quite contrary to the rest of the scene playing before them, and some people found it contagious – that seeing her manage herself well against pressure seemed to have a calming effect on the people as well.

"If any of you have experienced any form of discomfort, especially on your neck or on your face, today or yesterday, please report to our medics immediately so that you can be examined. This is for everyone's safety," Hinata announced as another crowd entered the hall.

Activating her byakugan, she scanned the chakra channels of everyone entering the hall, looking for signs of unusual activity. Those possessing the kekke genkai were able to detect slight inconsistencies in chakra flow caused by a dormant mark. The victims having the dormant mark were sent to Yamato's team where Sarada was, and were placed under observation – as expected, most of them, if not all, had their marks eventually activated. For this reason, those possessing the byakugan were disseminated all over the village.

For a long time, the situation seemed manageable – if you didn't count the fact that the intelligence and medical team could not figure out the mark. _Corner the victims and contain the damage._ However, as the number grew, havoc started tearing the village apart. Soon, the hostile sleepwalkers attacked in groups, targeting the foundations and structures of the village. Since the victims were once shinobi themselves, their physical strength and speed matched those of the shinobi force. The greatest weakness of Konoha's defense now was that there were only two people who could completely stop the attacks.

"I've checked on everyone's chakra channel. I have to move to the next area. At least three jonin need to oversee inside, and another squad needs to watch over from every way in. I need to talk to Shikamaru," Hinata said to the head jonin in the area. "Not everyone who has a dormant mark shows signs in their chakra channels. We can't spread this information however, or else we will cause the people to panic."

The jonin just stared speechless as the First Lady spoke, carefully nodding to show that he'd understood.

"I will choose the three jonin who will stay here inside. Most of the people in your squad have a dormant mark, I'm afraid, and that includes you," Hinata looked at him with an apologetic look on her face.

"I see," he tried to remain composed despite the sudden heavy feeling that was dawning on him. "I'll have to stay outside then. You're not sending us to Yamato's team now though, Hinata-sama?" he asked, surprised that he was still allowed to stay.

"No," Hinata replied, "not yet. If we send all of you there, we'll be lacking manpower. That can be problematic. Just make sure the hall is closed. As soon as we find replacements for you, I'll be sending you off to Yamato and Sarada."

"I understand. Thank you for your lending your aid, Hinata-sama," the young man bowed.

"It is my duty, as well as everyone else's responsibility, to look after the village especially during a crisis like this. Thank you for your squad's efforts too," Hinata smiled, before adding "oh, and just call me Hinata next time." Taking one last glance over the people inside the hall, she made her way outside where she handpicked three jonin to stay inside the hall before it was locked. The rest of them devotedly guarded their posts outside the hall right after the First Lady had left.

* * *

The gates of Konoha had been flung wide open as if it were waiting for Boruto. Only dull yellow lights illuminated the entrance; darkness had already stretched over the village. He raced into it, his body barely able to keep up with his own feet. He stopped for a moment, trying to compose a façade for himself. He wasn't going to let his fear slip while he faced other people. This wasn't the time to raise their concern. Whatever was troubling him, the villagers didn't need to know.

As soon as he caught his breath, he scurried through the streets, looking for familiar people. Boruto was fully unprepared for the first person that greeted him.

"Boruto! Over here!"

Bolt turned to his left to see a number of people gathered, a rumbling noise could be heard from their midst. "Himawari," he mumbled in surprise, seeing his sister emerge right from the heart of the chaos.

"Hey, you look worn out," Himawari pointed out. She stopped right in front of Boruto, placing both hands on his shoulders, her eyes probing him as if to look for injuries. His brother's jacket was cut and torn all over, almost exposing the shirt he had underneath.

"I'm okay," Boruto replied, examining Himawari the same way to see if she'd been harmed. After determining his she was uninjured, he looked around. "I need to talk to Uncle Shikamaru."

"I think I know where he would be." Himawari grabbed his wrist and led him deeper into the village, passing just behind a crowded area. She continued to speak as she led the way. "Have you seen dad? Sarada told me you went with Uncle Sasuke so he could take you to him?"

"I - " Boruto's voice got caught in his throat. He felt his sister's gaze fall on his face. "Uh, yeah. I was with him."

"He's got a lead then? That's why you're here," she asked, shifting her focus back to the path in front of her.

"Uh, yes. They need assistance. That's all. I need to tell Uncle Shikamaru so he can send help," Boruto whispered as they ran.

"They've found the one responsible for this? What is their plan? It's becoming somewhat troubling, Boruto. Somehow we're already running out of people," she said.

Boruto had a bad feeling that Himawari would continue asking one question after another – questions he was not prepared to answer. "Looks like they have an idea but they haven't quite told me anything, really." Boruto heard Himawari sigh.

Neither of them found comfort in the silence that lingered between them as they wound their way deeper into Konoha. He knew she had a lot of questions to ask but rather didn't. She knew he had something to say but rather didn't. They let it stay that way.

They sharply turned a corner into a narrow street. Boruto quickly spotted his father's right hand man standing not far from a crowd. It took him a while to realize who was standing next him. "Mom," he said, slowing down as Himawari let go of her grip.

"Boruto, you got anything for us?" Shikamaru was the first to notice them. Hinata turned to look as her children approached.

"Message from Uncle Sasuke," Boruto answered rather restrictedly. His mind was fully unprepared to relay the situation – he didn't imagine he would be talking to Shikamaru at the presence of both his mother and his sister.

"Did he bring you to Naruto, Bolt? How is he?" Hinata asked, stepping forward to get a better view of her son. "And where did these cuts come from?" she asked as she traced the scratches on his hands lightly with her finger

"Yes, he brought me to dad. Um, I just… I fell - I tripped, rather. Multiple times," Boruto stammered. "Dad has figured something out but hasn't really said much to me. Not as much as he'd told Uncle Sasuke anyway, –

\- But I've got word from Uncle Sasuke… to you." The young man eyed Shikamaru as he spoke, so as to say more but couldn't. He could feel his mother observing him intently.

"Is there anything wrong?" Hinata asked and Bolt could only stare back.

Shikamaru seemed to grasp Boruto's struggle almost instantly, much to the blonde's relief. "Is it something Sasuke only wanted me to know?" he interfered. Boruto nodded.

"I'm sorry. Go ahead, Boruto," Hinata said, carefully taking Himawari by the hand away from Shikamaru and Boruto.

Boruto headed toward an alley away from the crowd with Shikamaru following closely behind. When he was sure they were out of earshot, he leaned against the wall and stared straight at the older man.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked.

"Search team. Uncle Sasuke told me to fetch a search team to help us," Boruto spoke as he crouched forward. Bowing his head, he let his hands rest on his knees.

"Help you search for what?" The older man observed Bolt as he began tensing up, his hands balling into fists. "What's wrong Boruto?"

"My dad. Help us find my dad… and Kawaki," he answered, sighing heavily.

What Shikamaru heard didn't make any sense. He didn't know why they had to look for the Hokage, or why Sasuke would even need help. The name _Kawaki_ sounded familiar but he could not really figure out who exactly it was. Shikamaru wanted to ask him further, but a better explanation wasn't something Boruto seemed prepared to give yet. Sensing the urgency in the boy's gestures, he figured he didn't need it now.

"Will you go into detail for me as we go? Just tell me as much as you can," Shikamaru said, glancing around the corner to decide which way they should take.

"Yes," Boruto muttered, before the two set off.

* * *

Judging by the speed and agility of his attacker, he knew this was once a fine fighter. _Probably one of the best,_ he thought. Without his katana, Sasuke used his hand to tear against the sleepwalker's sleeve. The slit revealed a spiral tattoo on his shoulder. _Anbu_. Sasuke landed right in front of it and he let it approach. He'd allowed the victim to attack him, only to find out how strong the marked shinobi now were. If this Kawaki could activate marks on ninjas as skilled as the Anbu already, manipulate them into turning against the village, and render them fully incapacitated right after, the village was indeed in trouble.

The attacker leaped, preparing to lunge toward Sasuke. Effortlessly, Sasuke suspended him in mid-air. _Deva Path._ The rinnegan-wielder sprung to level himself with the assailant, activating the sharingan and releasing him from the mark's control. Immediately, the mark stopped glowing and the opponent went limp. Sasuke wrapped his arm around the body and brought it carefully to the ground. Just as he had expected - _no chakra._

Although the bodies were merely empty vessels, the Uchiha could still sense their presence very well. Having encountered it himself, he was now aware of the mark's unique aura. It was very faint, but it was there. _Six of them_ , Sasuke estimated those currently approaching. This time he didn't have to assess their abilities, he'd seen enough. He rushed toward their direction, making sure his right eye met with theirs. All six of them went limp as he passed through, falling to the ground with a thud. Sasuke couldn't let this pathetic scheme waste even a bit of his time.

He kept Naruto's and Kawaki's chakra in check all the time. There hadn't been any change for either of them. _Good,_ neither has done anything careless yet. Maybe the _dobe_ was trying his best to talk the young man out of it, like he usually did. Except, as far as Sasuke could determine, the young man was in no way capable of undoing the sealthat had grown to that kind of power already. And he still could not track either of them, _damn it._

As expected, it did not take long before Shikamaru and his squad reached his location. "I've brought the best of the sensory nin from what manpower we've had left," he told Sasuke blatantly.

"Hn," Sasuke answered, watching his wife step forward from the squad.

"I had to be sent out as well. You might need a medic nin and you have only me. The situation had quickly changed before we left," Sakura explained, as she stopped a few feet from Sasuke. "The corrupted ninja suddenly fled to the outskirts of the village and eventually scurried into the woods. We could not figure out why."

"Maybe as distraction, I've met some of them along the way," Sasuke said.

"Yes. We've dealt with them along our way, too. Boruto took another squad with him, Hinata and Himawari included. They will deal with the victims we have on loose, keep them somewhat occupied until Yamato and Sarada have cleared the village and can join them," Sakura added. "That way we could focus on our search."

"Sounds like a decent idea - " Sasuke said, before he was cut off by Sakura.

"Sasuke, where is Naruto?" the pink-haired medic asked, her voice carrying concern more than curiosity or doubt. She wasn't asking _where_ their teammate was; she was asking why they weren't together.

"I don't know and that's why you are here. He desperately separated himself from us," Sasuke hissed.

"Why would he do that?" Sakura asked. "He didn't tell you what his plan was?"

"No, he didn't. The _dobe_ insisted we let him do what he can," Sasuke hissed. "But unless he could give me an acceptable motive for doing so, I'm not leaving him alone to it. This is fucking stupid."

Without sparing them a second glance, Sasuke strode past them, leaving with such speed they could barely keep up with.

* * *

"The Rinne Tensei or the Kisho Tensei? Which friend will most likely give his, or her, life for yours?" Kawaki asked, more out of desperation than out of insolence.

He stared in disbelief as a smile sadly played across the Hokage's face. "Eh, both are equally selfless. But I will not allow it to work on me. The kage needs to bear his own responsibilities alone if the circumstances demand. I was the one who swore into the position anyway, not them."

"You took extra measures then?" Kawaki asked, overwhelmed by the nobility he was witnessing in front of him. The scroll glowed lightly as chakra travelled toward where Sasuke's katana previously wounded him, attempting to heal the area.

"With the help of Tsunade and Kakashi – yes, I did. Only the both of them knew. My friends and my family would've disapproved any of it. But for matters like these, I guess the kages share the same understanding of what our responsibilities entailed. The Fifth and the Sixth Hokages aided me in as much as they could," Naruto explained. "I will always be grateful to them for that."

Kawaki knew his plan was almost perfect, with the only flaw being that he chose to believe the Hokage would not go to such lengths to protect the village. _What else was he expecting, though?_ He played with Sasuke's katana, swinging it around, trying to buy himself time to think. Realizing the only resolve he could think of right now was to bargain, he was infuriated. Maybe if he could make the Seventh use the nine-tails, he would get the chance to suck chakra right out of it.

Standing up, his tattoo glowed blue, connecting the scroll in his hand to his body. " _Rasengan_ ," Kawaki mumbled under his breath, as chakra flowed from the scroll in his left hand toward his body and out to his opposite hand. The ball of spinning chakra quickly grew massive, occupying almost half of the entire area enclosed by the barrier.

Naruto remained unfazed, but he moved nonetheless. He and two of his clones leaped into the air, one of them forming a medium-sized rasengan. He and the other clone went into opposite directions, so that Kawaki could not keep track of the both of them. With that size of the rasengan in his hand, Naruto knew Kawaki would not be able to move very freely. The young man concentrated on the clone's attack, aiming his own ball of chakra against the smaller ball of spinning chakra. As Kawaki jumped, he returned the scroll inside his vest and used this free hand to grab his weapon and hurl it toward the clone. The aim was futile and the clone disappeared right after it had released three seals behind Kawaki. Before the two rasengans collided with each other, the smaller one dissipated and the clone carrying it disappeared in a puff of smoke. The real Naruto appeared right behind Kawaki, knocking him downward with a kick on his back. Before the rasengan hit the ground, Naruto infused it with his own chakra and redirected it upward, so that it freely exited the barrier.

As the rasengan reached a majestic height, it ignited, lighting up the sky for a split-second before completely clearing up. A thunderous roar shook the entire area and Kawaki could only shudder. It was only through such desperation that he even attempted to use it. Angrily, his drove his fists toward the ground, his body shaking in rage.

The Hokage watched him. It was unbelievable, what massive jutsu this young man could handle at this point. Had this boy chosen to use this power against the village, many people would have died. Instead, his methods did not involve killing anyone. Whether this was out of fear or of conscience, Naruto figured it didn't matter now.

"The manner I will use to counter your seal – I've made it clear to you, haven't I?" Naruto spoke calmly in almost a gentle manner. "Do you realize what position it will place you in? You'll carry all the blame and the hate. At this point, I've somehow assumed you have no intent to kill."

"You don't know anything about me," Kawaki retorted.

"That's true. I don't even know why you have no intent to kill. But given what the outcome will be, is it the life you wanted? You'll become a rogue ninja and a bounty will be placed on your head - "

"What difference would turning back do now? I'm not a fool, Lord Seventh. If I surrender, there's just so many consequences to face, so much to pay for everything I've so far caused. It's throwing away everything I've ever worked for. It wouldn't make any difference now," Kawaki sneered. "And don't ever think I will regret this. Even if I never did any of this, life will still have nothing for me besides the inequity of a society that values only the shinobi."

"We've had people, who had turned rogue and went so far as to become international criminals, given second chances after they've completely turned back on their ways - "

"Like who? Orochimaru, Kabuto, the Uchiha? Name one that is not as equally gifted and powerful as those three and let him convince me instead," Kawaki snarled. "You were right in saying I never had the intent to kill. I could, but it won't benefit me anything. I'm not that stupid. In the same way, causing your death isn't going to do me any good either."

Kawaki remained silent for a while, gathering his thoughts. Naruto let the silence linger between them. From outside the barrier he could hear explosions coming from afar. For now, he could only trust his comrades to keep everyone safe.

"I will spare your family, and other people close to you, then you won't have to lose your life. Just give me the chakra I need and I will leave Konoha," Kawaki bargained. His hopes weren't too high but it was his only chance.

" _ **No chance, kiddo,"**_ the nine-tails growled, although he knew only Naruto could hear him. _**"C'mon, Kit. Use your taijutsu skills to knock some sense into that brat like what you did with the Uchiha. Reminds me of the days he'd gone insane."**_

" _Kurama, stop it,"_ Naruto sighed. Even though the nine-tails already saw Sasuke as a trustworthy comrade, the beast could still be very tactless about his past.

" _ **But I am serious, Naruto. If you can't use chakra against this brat, might as well knock him out with your taijutsu."**_

" _I don't know if you're kidding, Kurama. I can end up killing him."_

" _ **Then all the better,"**_ the nine-tails grunted and Naruto just scowled at him. _**"Bring him to me, Naruto."**_

" _Wait, what?"_ Naruto asked in surprise.

" _ **He wants me then let him into your psyche. Let's show him exactly what he's looking for,"**_ the nine-tails said, shifting into a serious demeanor.

Kawaki suddenly felt warm. Before he knew what was happening, he was burning. He squirmed in extreme discomfort as his whole body tingled everywhere. His senses struggled against the overwhelming sensation for a moment before it died down, and then everything was black. His eyes remained shut but somewhere he could hear droplets of water falling rhythmically, its sound almost calming him.

As he tried to move, he heard something roar. _**"I don't trust you, brat."**_

Kawaki jumped and he found himself staring right into the eyes of the nine-tailed fox.

" _ **So forget about whatever you're trying to bargain us with. It's not going to work. You still have so much to learn, so don't go out there acting all high and mighty. We've seen that so many times before,"**_ the beast jeered, emphasizing every word. It didn't break eye contact with the young man sitting staggered before him. _**"Just be thankful for the fact that you'll most likely walk out from this alive."**_

Naruto remained silent behind Kawaki as he pondered over what was being said, knowing exactly what the nine-tails meant.

" _ **We can ask you to tell us how much chakra will be needed to break the seal as our own side of a bargain, but I just can't see myself trusting you,"**_ the nine-tails said before he paused. His eyes softened as his gaze shifted to Naruto. _**"Knowing this Hokage right here, he'll weigh it – saving his life while risking the lives of many, there is just no way he will let that happen… I am sure of it."**_

Kawaki felt himself shrink as the beast scrutinized him. Behind him, however, the Hokage stayed still. Naruto could beat him up if he wanted to, reprimand him, yell at him, torture him, make him suffer, but he didn't. Kawaki would never understand why.

" _ **There is only one way this should end. We're all for forgiveness and redemption, but if life failed to teach you early on that for every action you do there are consequences you have to face, then I sure as well hope this time it teaches you exactly that,"**_ the nine-tails spat, feeling itself burn with fury from the inside. _ **"Whatever consequences you have to face for this, you only have yourself to blame, no one else. This is from your own doing, and not the world's."**_

" _That's enough, he needs to go. We need to finish this now,"_ Naruto interrupted. He could hear the commotion outside the barrier growing and he could not bear to let the village suffer any longer.

Naruto walked to face Kawaki before pushing him hard against the chest. The young man would never forget the look on the Hokage's face – a mix of despair and disappointment without losing courage and confidence. Kawaki silently wished he'd known the Seventh under different circumstances. _Maybe, just maybe… they could've shared the same dream._

As soon as he fell against dry ground, Kawaki pushed himself up, rushing toward where his weapon lay. Before Naruto could realize what he was doing, Kawaki raised the weapon and thrust it with full strength through his own abdomen. His hands were soon slowly drenched in crimson. This was his only chance left to make a deal with the Hokage. Naruto cursed under his breath as the young man fell to his knees; he rushed to his side.

"I would rather die than see my plan fail right before me. Your people will die along with me - " Kawaki said before screaming in pain, "Give me the chakra I need then I will heal myself."

Naruto glanced over the wound underneath Kawaki's hands. He knew it wouldn't be enough to kill him, but if the young man went any further, his death was certain. He could not risk that.

" _ **Kit, it is time,"**_ the nine-tails growled.

Naruto found himself back in his subconscious again, probably for the last time. He stared at the fox, whose paw gently rested on top of the Hokage's head. Kurama was smiling, but the beast was also shaking.

" _I can't,"_ Naruto choked before he paused, his eyes diverting away from the nine-tails's gaze. _"I can't thank you enough… for letting me do this with you, Kurama."_

" _ **Kit,"**_ the nine-tails chuckled. _**"No. Thank you,"**_ the beast lifted his host's face by the chin and looked directly at Naruto's eyes, _**"For having me. I know you didn't really have any choice but - "**_

Naruto and Kurama both laughed. Naruto brought his arms over his eyes, his sleeve suddenly soaked with tears. He could only imagine how pathetic he looked like right now – a grown up man with a badass cloak, _crying._ But Naruto could not help it. He was lying to himself when he said he was ready.

" _If I could turn back the time to the day I was born, I'll still choose to have you here,"_ Naruto said, pointing at his core.

" _ **Would I have any choice?"**_ Kurama sniggered.

" _No,"_ Naruto smiled back at the beast. He sighed heavily. _"Well, I guess this is it,"_ Naruto said, as he rubbed both of his palms together and his breathing became shallow. He was beginning to feel cold, or he was just nervous; he didn't really know. Butterflies surged into his stomach and he couldn't help but feel a little giddy. Naruto tried his best to keep thoughts about his family at bay. _It was just too much to handle at the moment._

" _ **I will also die, Naruto, but only for a while. I don't know how long, but in two, five, or ten years, I will be back. And I will remember everything as if it was just yesterday. The tailed beasts never forget,"**_ Kurama said sadly, his eyes staring at his own reflection in the water.

" _Kurama? When I go,"_ Naruto said, waiting for the beast to straighten up and look at him. _"It will all be over for me. But you, like you said, you'll get to see the world again and that you'll never forget. Can I ask you a favor?"_

Kurama looked at Naruto, _**"Anything, Kit."**_

" _Everything we ever fought for – will you remember? Everything I ever did, one day it will be forgotten. But when that happens, you will still be here. Can you… look after them, for me? The children, the village… the future,"_ Naruto sighed.

The beast nodded, smiling at Naruto. _You truly are the most honorable person the world will ever speak of, Naruto. I am sure of that,_ he thought.

Without hesitation, the Seventh Hokage lifted his fist toward the nine-tailed fox with a big grin on his face, connecting with the beast for the very last time. He turned his back and took a deep breath, before conjuring a sign that broke the seal.

" _Let's do this, Kurama!"_ With all his remaining strength, Naruto gave everything he had.

And then everything around him gradually faded to black.

* * *

No one missed the first explosion when it happened. The sky ignited in a powerful blast, its power rattling the earth to its core. Himawari and Boruto looked up, its flare reflected in their eyes.

' _Was it - ?'_ Boruto wondered. It couldn't have been just his imagination. The nature of the blast felt familiar, like he'd seen it before.

"Find where that possibly came from," a familiar voice commanded over them.

Boruto turned to see Sasuke approach them from behind, with the rest of Shikamaru's squad following him.

"Nothing?" Boruto asked, feeling a bit disappointed that his mentor's group was just as empty-handed them.

"Nothing," Sasuke confirmed, his voice stern. "But _that,_ " he gestured toward the sky, "was his - the rasengan with his chakra written all over it. Find out where it potentially came from then we find them."

Right after Sasuke finished speaking, four figures surrounded them. Sleepwalkers had been pursuing Boruto's and Shikamaru's squads, but just one glance was enough to tell the group that these people weren't the same. Their eyes were normal and they did not have the blue mark, the only tattoos adorning them remained on one side of their bodies and they closely resembled the tattoo on Boruto. Bolt and Sasuke also recognized scars and weapons similar to the ones Kawaki had.

"You're with him, aren't you?!" Boruto stepped forward, his hands balling into fists as he addressed them with contempt.

"Oh, so you've seen him… Kawaki, your friend?" One of them, a guy who appeared to be around Boruto's age, spoke. "Blonde hair, blue eyes… You must be the Hokage's son. Kawaki has told us many things about you - "

Before he could continue, Boruto leaped and kicked him squarely on the chest. As they both fell to the ground, Bolt tackled him before punching him twice on the same cheek. His opponent spat blood out at the impact and his nose started bleeding.

"I remember you," Boruto yelled, grabbing the other man's hair and yanking him up. "You were the coward in the alleyway the other night. Beating up an old lady right after you've robbed her! How _fucking_ dare you show your face to me! Who do you think you are? _Weakling,"_ Boruto sneered.

"Let's see if you can still call us weaklings right after _Naruto_ gives in to our commands - "

At the mention of his father, Boruto grabbed a kunai, pointing it toward the man's throat. Instantly, however, a woman appeared behind Boruto, who positioned a blade across the blonde's throat. In a puff of smoke, Boruto disappeared, only to reappear behind the woman. He landed a punch on her back, driving her across the woods for a few yards before hitting a trunk.

"Like I said – _weaklings, cowards,_ " Boruto emphasized.

"That's enough," Sasuke whispered to Boruto, as he grabbed his student's arm from behind and held it against the blonde's back. Sasuke kept him in that position until he felt the young man relax.

The Uchiha had spent a great deal of time with Boruto to know full well that he inherited neither his father's nor his mother's composure when angry. Although Naruto often still lost that composure when he was younger, he had nothing close to Boruto's vulgarity. You wouldn't want to deal with the Hokage's son once he was mad. Sasuke could somehow see his younger self in Naruto's son, and he was hoping their similarities ended with that.

"The seal is also connected with all of you, am I right?" Sasuke asked the one Boruto had tackle. He received only a smirk in response. "Do not kill any of them. Just incapacitate them or tie them up, whatever you want to do. Just don't inflict anything fatal," Sasuke announced, addressing Boruto's and Shikamaru's group.

"Incapacitate us? Heh, I don't think so," the third in the opponent's group jested - dark woman with short, orange hair, who appeared to be around Konohamaru's age.

She placed one end of a straw between her lips and blew, sending several miniscule paper cranes swooping toward the group in different directions. They gracefully dodged them, and it was only slightly difficult because there were too many.

The woman yelped as Hinata appeared right in front of her, landing a single gentle fist to her core and sending her flying to the ground. Before Hinata could aim the same attack at Kawaki's fourth member, a short stout man whose eyes had been heavily bandaged, her daughter's shriek alerted everyone in the area.

"Hima!" Boruto yelled, rushing toward his sister's side. Himawari placed on hand behind her neck, her face grimacing in pain as she fell to her knees. He caught her and she rested her head on her brother's shoulder. Boruto felt anger boiling to the point it never reached before. _They'd marked his sister._ "Uncle Sasuke!" he yelled.

Within a split-second, the Uchiha was right beside Naruto's children, gently lifting Himawari's face to look at him. "Look at me, look at my eyes." Himawari did as she was told. Sasuke shook his head, "Can't really do anything on a mark that hasn't been activated yet."

"What's gonna happen to her?" Boruto asked, fear etched across his face.

"I'll be fine," Himawari whispered, smiling at her brother. "Daddy's gonna make everything okay, right Uncle Sasuke?" Sasuke stared at her with eyes wide before nodding.

"It's about time, they should be here by now," the fourth member declared, right after seeing how they managed to mark only one person in crowd.

They could only release cranes once after a while. It would take them a while before they could attempt to target Sasuke's group again. More than a dozen sleepwalking figures arrived, quickly surrounding them. Several of them advanced toward Sasuke and Naruto's children, separating the three. Once Bolt and Himawari were separated from Sasuke, all of them gathered around the dark-haired man, who then focused on deactivating all of their marks.

In Boruto's arms, Himawari trembled. "Hey," Bolt whispered, looking at her. A blue glow appeared on her neck, pulsating as it grew. Soon, Himawari was on her feet, her eyes blank, and prepared to lunge at Boruto.

As Hinata and Sasuke, having realized what was going on, attempted to dart toward where the children were, another violent force shook the earth. This time its intensity was even greater than the first.

Sasuke felt the vast, overwhelming surge of a tailed beast chakra - _the nine-tails' chakra._ He stopped on his tracks. The entire area was suddenly illuminated orange and the air grew warm. The sky roared and what appeared like fire loomed over the mountains. The explosion was blinding; Sasuke could barely recognize the outline of a fox that was ready to attack.

The crowd looked on. They'd never seen such demonstration of power on earth since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. The new generation had never witnessed such unimaginable existence. But as soon as it reached the peak of its strength, it exploded, sending debris flying everywhere.

Sasuke shielded the children with his cloak and the commotion had barely died down when he heard Boruto yell. "Himawari! Your eyes… Hey, you're okay!" Boruto was hugging Himawari, who had a wide smile across her face. A laugh escaped Boruto's lips. "At first I thought you were going to attack me!"

"Ah, really? Of course I won't do that! But it's all okay now, isn't it?" Himawari asked.

Boruto looked around. Most of the perpetrators that had once gathered around Sasuke were on the ground, some of them rubbing their eyes or scratching their heads. For some reason, the glowing marks that covered their bodies had gone. The four attackers that carried out Kawaki's schemes suddenly attempted to retreat, but Shikamaru's shadows prevented them from moving any further.

Hinata activated her Byakugan, checking Himawari first before the rest of those who'd been marked. To her surprise, none of their chakra channels showed any signs that they'd been disturbed at all. Hinata turned to Sasuke, the look in his eyes etching itself forever in Hinata's memory as she asked him, "What happened? Is it all over now?"

Sasuke looked at her, his lips barely moving. "Naruto's chakra… it's gone."

* * *

Hinata had lost someone close to her heart before, had seen so many people she cared for disappear, had seen many of them fight for their lives almost on the brink of death right in front of her. But none of that would compare to this day when she'd seen her two children go through the same thing for the first time in their lives.

Boruto and Himawari had gone to look for their father before she could even manage to move. The last time she heard about them, she was informed that they had completely separated from the others. Her children were beyond inconsolable. She had no idea where they went, and she had no idea where she was going herself.

Her feet dragged her heavily across the woods, her breath caught painfully in her throat. Could be the crying, or the fatigue, she didn't know anymore. Sometimes she would stop when it felt like the world was spinning but then it would become steady, then she would just have to go further again.

Everything felt like a nightmare she needed to wake up from. None of it could be real.

The memory she had from earlier this morning flooded her mind.

000

_She woke up to Naruto cooking, surprisingly, cursing to himself almost comically as flames burst from the frying pan. He tossed the pan and its contents entirely into the sink, only producing more smoke in the process._

_"What are you doing?" Hinata asked, chuckling to herself, as Naruto removed the pot holder from his hands with disgust written all over in his face._

_Naruto jumped in surprise. "Hinata! You're awake! Wait, wait. I was just cleaning up..." The groggy Hokage panicked, quickly grabbing the pan from the sink with his bare hand, only to toss it again and curse it under his breath for being too hot._

_"Let me handle it," Hinata said, grinning as she opened the faucet and the exhaust fan to clear the smoke out._

_"I'm sorry," Naruto grumbled, his eyes cast on the floor. "I only made a mess, didn't I?"_

_Hinata smiled at him. "It's okay. Why are you up so early anyway, Hokage-sama?" she asked playfully, trying to cheer Naruto up. "Got a lot to do at the office?"_

_"Huh? No, no. I just... Well, you remember I came home kinda early than usual last night and got a lot of rest and... you know. I just figured I'll make you breakfast for once," Naruto sighed. "You always do it for me."_

_"Of course I'll always do it for you," Hinata said, gently touching Naruto's nose. "Breakfast is the only time I can make sure you don't substitute your meal for ramen."_

_Naruto laughed, cupping his hands softly against Hinata's cheeks. "I love you, Hinata," he whispered._

_"I love you too even if you don't know how to prepare anything else besides ramen," she whispered back._

_"Eh, I'll try again! I promise! Maybe tomorrow... yes, tomorrow morning will be great. What would you want for breakfast?" Naruto asked, a smile displayed widely across his face._

000

_That was just this morning, wasn't it? How then did it come to this?_

And then she heard it, she heard her daughter screaming from a distance. It was a cry that pierced sharply through the air. Hinata broke into a sprint.

"Daddy!" Himawari was kneeling on the ground, begging for her father to wake up when Hinata arrived. There, sprawled on the dirt, was his husband, his body limp and his chest still. _Way too still_.

She ran toward him and lifted his head. Her fingers travelled from his cheek to his neck. Trembling, she lifted her fingers again and placed it against his wrist. _None_. Almost completely hesitating, she activated her byakugan and confirmed what she'd feared. _Her husband's heart wasn't beating._

Sakura was the second to arrive on the scene. Drenched in tears with her whole body shaking, the pink-haired medic collapsed beside her teammate's body. Her mind raced, her fingers digging into her own leg in frustration. _How the hell do you save a jinchuriki with his tailed beast completely gone and nowhere to be found?_

As if to answer her question, thunder echoed loudly above them and lightning flashed, rain suddenly plummeting heavily over them.

Boruto was the third to arrive. His knees gave way the moment he saw the lifeless body beside his mother. He wanted to scream but no voice left him. He wanted to move but his body froze. There he remained motionless and helpless in mud.

Sasuke was the fourth to arrive. He watched as Sakura yelled something to him but he couldn't understand a thing. Everything around him seemed to have stilled and quieted.

"Sasuke… Sasuke! The nine-tail's chakra, even just a little… please," Sakura's voice gradually filled his sense, pleading, asking him to locate what had completely disappeared. Sasuke only stared, completely stunned at her request. Sakura knew what it meant.

' _No,'_ she mouthed disbelievingly to him, tears falling freely from her eyes. "Hinata, breathe for him." Sasuke heard Sakura say. He watched helplessly as Hinata crawled over her husband's mutilated body, closing her lips with his. Naruto's chest rose as Hinata breathed air into his lungs. By then, several people had already arrived but no one moved.

Sakura had been in this situation before, but the first time it happened she knew exactly what she had to do. This time, she didn't, but still she had to do something. There was absolutely no way she'd let him die. _If he'd pulled it off during the war, then he'd pull it off tonight._ There's no way in hell Sakura would stop until she saw, with her very own eyes, Naruto wake up with a clueless look on his face. _No way, Naruto. Not now. Your family needs you._ She lifted two fingers before her hand glowed with healing chakra. She tore Naruto's orange sweatshirt and swiftly made an incision at the side of his chest. She heard Boruto gasp.

Sasuke knelt behind Boruto, pulling him toward himself as the young man began to thrash around on the ground. He could hear his student's suppressed whimper. Sasuke carefully lowered Boruto's headband down to his eyes so he couldn't see more, as Sakura shoved her hand into Naruto's chest to manually pump his heart for him.*

Behind Hinata, Sarada approached Himawari, pulling her into a hug. The younger kunoichi hid her face, burying her face into Sarada as the older girl tried to calm her down. Hima continued to call for her father to wake up over and over.

"We have to bring him to the hospital," Sakura told the medics in the area, her voice cracked as she tried to withhold a sob. "Call Tsunade… please, I don't know what to do," Sakura was starting to break down. A group of medics responded to her command.

"Sasuke, the perpetrators," Shikamaru approached the raven-haired man who was still consoling a writhing Boruto. "We fear they are getting ready to leave."

Sasuke felt Boruto begin to fight back against his resistance, driving his fist angrily toward the ground. "They have to pay for this," Bolt hissed between gritted teeth. Before Sasuke could react, Bolt had gotten up and had begun to storm out. He grabbed his student by the arm.

"I'll make sure they get caught, Boruto" he said firmly, tightening his grip on his student's arm. "Stay with your family. Stay by Naruto's side," he added, while watching the medics insert a tube Naruto's down throat. Sakura continued to pump their teammate's heart with her bare hand. "I'll be at the hospital as soon as I can."

As his father was placed on a stretcher, Boruto relented and Sasuke took off by himself.

* * *

The operating room was filled with all the different noises which Sakura had already grown accustomed to. Today, however, it irritated her to the core. The ventilator whirred while the cardiac monitor beeped every time she squeezed his heart, its rhythmic beeping slowing as her hand grew tired against her will.

" _Bullshit,_ " she snapped, ripping the wires away from Naruto's chest. Her hand was starting to hurt - it had been forty-eight minutes since she started the cardiac massage. She didn't care how tired it made her, she would use both hands if she had to, but with each pump she had to make her hope gradually slipped away. She placed her free hand on Naruto's forehead, pulling of the tape placed on over his eyes. She lifted his eyelid with her thumb. _Fixed and dilated._ Sakura placed a kiss on her friend's eyelid as it closed. _Pull off a miracle, please._ She watched as the other medics tried to mend his other injuries.

"Tsunade-sama said she is on her way," the medic entering the operating room informed Sakura.

"Has she said anything else?" she asked.

" _No_." Sakura's heart sank.

Sasuke strode hastily into the hospital, heading straight for the operating room. He stopped at the sight of Naruto's family sitting quietly in the waiting room. Hinata was leaning her head to the side against the wall, her hands tightly gripping Naruto's clothes on her lap. The silence was deafening. At the sight of his father, Sarada stood up. They locked eye contact for a moment before he walked past her, heading toward the entrance of the operating room. He pushed but it didn't budge –

"Papa," Sarada called out. "Mama instructed no one enters, except the Fifth Hokage."

Sasuke paused, before placing his palm against the door. After channeling enough chakra, the doors violently caved in.

"Sasuke," Sakura muttered. Her husband walked toward the other side of the operating table, only to see what had been keeping the cardiac monitor beeping. Their teammate's eyes had been taped shut and a tube was fixed in the corner of his mouth. His skin was as pale as the sheet that hung over his head. It took a while for Sasuke to process the sight before him before he stared right back at Sakura. Neither of them said a word. He brought his hand near Naruto's face.

"Snap out of this, Naruto," he said, poking his friend's head lightly at the side. _There was no response._ "There's still one thing that can be done, Sakura," Sasuke said.

" _Two,_ actually," Sakura responded. Sasuke looked at her. "Kisho Tensei," Sakura blatantly said, not bothering to explain any further.

"Save it. I've already lived a life that's way better than I ever deserved," Sasuke said decisively, placing his hands together to conjure a hand seal. Kakashi had been watching from outside the moment Sasuke entered the operating room.

"The Rinne Tensei, will you, really - ?" Kakashi asked, stepping into the O.R. just in time to stop Sasuke. The Uchiha froze at the former Hokage's question; he looked at Naruto. "Yes, why wouldn't I?" he snapped.

"What about your family? Your clan?" their former teacher asked. Sakura's eyes shifted from Kakashi down to Naruto, her free hand stroking the blonde's nose and eyes, as tears slid down her cheeks.

"Sakura and I have once talked about this. Told her I owed my life to him, and that in owing it to him I also owed it to the village," Sasuke's gaze fixed on his wife. "She never said anything against it. And Sarada…" he paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "She will understand. I told her as much as she needed to know about mine and Naruto's past. Made her realize my world no longer revolved around myself and my clan. She's a smart kid. She will understand what I'm meant to do."

"It crossed your mind, then - that a situation like this might occur. It occurred to him too, you know," Kakashi said, his overall composed demeanor slowly collapsing under the weight of his own emotions. "And he approached me." Sasuke glanced at him, not quite grasping what Kakashi was telling him. "Asked me to help him find a way to… counter the Outer Path if used to revive him, just in case."

"That's not true!" Sasuke yelled, his insides burning in rage at what his former teacher was telling him. He placed his hands together and conjured the hand seal. _Nothing happened._

Sasuke stared at Naruto in disbelief before turning to Kakashi, "How?!"

"I've been revived by the Rinne Tensei once, by Nagato. After studying it for a long time, we found out it can't be used on the same person twice. _Allogeneic bone marrow transplant._ Itgives Naruto my DNA," the Sixth Hokage explained, his voice faltering at the weight of his former student's glare.

"Sakura," the voice of the Fifth Hokage resounded across the room. She stopped right by the entrance, her eyes resting on Naruto's unmoving form. "The nine-tails was released, wasn't it?" No one answered. The silence was enough for a confirmation.

"I can still do something, though," Sakura blurted out. She looked at Tsunade; she would know what she was talking about.

"I'm sorry Sakura," Tsunade's voice broke into a sob. She walked slowly toward her former apprentice, watching her student's hand move inside Naruto's chest. "There's really nothing you can do now."

Sakura remained silent, "But I can, I've learned it with Suna's permission, Lady Tsunade. If Sasuke can't - " Sakura paused. Sasuke tensed up. "I can try." Sakura raised his hand over Naruto's body and both hands glowed from green to blue. Tsunade placed her hand over Sakura's, suppressing the chakra.

"Suna also helped give Naruto and I a seal to counter it," Tsunade said, now placing both hands over Sakura's arms. "Naruto never wanted you to use it."

Sakura refused to move her hands. "No, please," she choked.

"You've done enough, Sakura." The Fifth Hokage gently stroked Sakura on the shoulder. "You have to let him go now." A heart wrenching sound escaped Sakura's lips as she withdrew, her hands quickly losing its glow. As the cardiac monitor flat lined, producing a long steady sound, Tsunade pulled Sakura into a hug, the younger woman's body trembling strongly against her mentor's embrace.

* * *

Hinata entered the cold room, her arms still holding Naruto's clothes tightly against her chest. She peaked, first into the door, and then she peaked at his face before sitting beside where he lay. He only looked like he was just sleeping. But Hinata knew he wasn't. She kissed him on the cheek. There were still so many things she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to tell him, but she kept her mouth shut, her hand weakly ruffling his hair. _He's not going to hear me now anyway._ Hinata stood up. She could no longer bear to look at him that way. With all her remaining strength, she leaned over his body, embracing him one last time. She remained that way as her senses as she took it all in – the way he looked, the calmness in his face, the peacefulness in his presence, his scent, the touch of his skin. _His warmth, however, it had long gone._ Her lips touched his one last time before she straightened up and placed the sheet over his face. She exited the room.

As soon as Hinata saw that the corridor was empty and that her children were nowhere in sight, she sank to the floor and let all of her sorrows spill from her.

* * *

Kakashi watched as his former student cradled his remaining arm against his chest. It was bloodied and broken in different places. But his student didn't care. As long as he could still strike something, he would. Sasuke landed another blow on a boulder, disintegrating it instantly upon contact. Sasuke knew Kakashi was there but he didn't say anything. The former Hokage figured Sasuke needed his presence.

Sasuke targeted the ground beneath him next, his bone producing a loud crack on impact. The raven-haired man grimaced. He made a sound as he cradled his arm again. Soon, however, he began to wail.

Kakashi turned his back, overwhelmed by the familiar feeling of grief and guilt. Silently, the Sixth Hokage wished the Rinne Tensei had never brought him back.

* * *

**Time:** 11:57PM || **Date:** 2nd, October  
**Crisis:** Critical assault || **Situation** : Contained, resolved.  
**Injured:** 157 Minor Injuries.  
**Casualties:** 1

* * *

_We do not know what kind of people we truly are until the moment before our deaths._  
_As death comes to embrace you, you will realize what you are._  
_That's what death is, don't you think?  
_ _\- Itachi Uchiha_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (* I know many people negatively reacted to the part where Sakura had to manually pump Naruto's heart in the manga. It's an actual procedure. Look up 'thoracotomy', but only if you can handle bloody stuff though. I think it's done when cpr or defib wouldn't work.)
> 
> Anyway, holy crap, almost 10k words in a flashback chapter. Unbelievable. And to think I'll have to rewrite some parts of this to make it fit into my other Boruto story (where this chapter's ending will be different). If you've been following this fic though, I don't really recommend reading the other one because it's in this Kawaki timeline and the plot is entirely different, so yeah.
> 
> But holy crap 10k words. I really did drag it out, didn't I? Sorry if some bits were boring. I almost dozed off myself multiple times. So that's how Naruto died. Nothing more on this flashback, there's been too much. [No more funeral! I planned on writing that before I realized this whole flashback will reach 20k+ words. I suck at sad, sentimental scenes anyway]. If you're curious what happens next to Kawaki, continue reading this AN… BUT, if you plan on reading The Next: Chronicles, stop right here. This will really spoil you…
> 
> [Spoiler starts: Okay, so Sasuke caught Kawaki and his group before he went to the hospital actually, I just didn't feel the need to add that part into the story anymore. He had Kawaki and his group placed in a prison cell. Then he becomes the Eighth Hokage, after he refuses 10489081 times, he just doesn't have a choice. Kawaki's group eventually escapes prison with a lot of help, revealing they have a bunch of allies outside and within the leaf. Sasuke could track all of them out without breaking a sweat, duh geez he's practically a god right now lol, but he lets them go anyway since they're basically as powerless as a bunch of hamsters right now. Also, he thinks Naruto wouldn't have wanted Kawaki imprisoned, y'know the talk Naruto gave him about how Sasuke's gonna prove that no one's too far from redemption blah blah. The Kawaki panel in the manga, where Boruto confronts Kawaki, will happen still sometime into the future. So there. That's iiiit.]
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are so much appreciated 3 (I'm not begging you but pleeeaaaase. Haha nah jk). We're going back to the Reanimation plot next chapter… Fiiinallyyyy!


	11. Chapter Eleven

"How long do you estimate before we arrive at the underground cave?" Mitsuki asked, trailing just behind Sarada.

They had been traveling since dawn, and now the sun was shining directly over them, heating their bodies to the core.

Mitsuki wasn't tired but the heat was too much. They also hadn't stopped to drink or catch their breaths. He could feel Sarada panting heavily but he knew how she acted every time she was nervous and tense about something - she'd just want to get the hell over it. So that's why they weren't stopping, she had to know what was going on and she had to know _now._

"We're really near," Sarada said while jumping from branch to branch, almost barely managing to get the words across. "We have maybe only half an hour left if we keep this pace."

Mitsuki almost sighed, except he couldn't. "If we're about to reach it really soon, shouldn't we come up with some sort of a plan?"

Sarada let her foot slide off the branch she'd leaped on, letting herself land to the ground below. Mitsuki was quick enough to do the same. They'd landed on a small clearing.

"Or do you already have one?" Mitsuki asked.

Sarada looked at him blankly. "No, I don't. I tried to come up with a plan, but I couldn't." Sarada crouched, placing both hands on her knees. This was the first time she realized how tired she was. "Just what was written on Papa's note - track him."

"Stop thinking it's a personal mission from your father, if it makes you too giddy and only keeps you from thinking clearly," Mitsuki said.

Sarada covered her face with both hands in frustration. She watched Mitsuki pace for a while as her mind raced with his to come up with a plan. There wasn't any. Mitsuki stopped before speaking, "River nearby. Mind cooling down a bit?"

Sarada quickly waved her hand to decline.

"C'mon, it would really ruin the mission if one of us passes out," Mitsuki said while he already began to walk toward the sound of the river.

Sarada wiped the sweat off her forehead with her arm, still trying to catch her breath. Realizing her teammate didn't really give her a choice, she followed.

"Thirty minutes distance. Would you mind if I peek at it ahead of you?" Mitsuki asked as he squatted down to fill his bottle with water.

"What?" Sarada asked, not quite knowing what he was getting at.

"My snake. I can send it that far ahead if you want me to," Mitsuki explained.

"Oh, right," Sarada nodded. "I forgot. My snake can't go that far ahead of me. Didn't think of that." The Uchiha deliberated on it for a moment. "Wouldn't it give us away?"

"It could. But Kansuke doesn't know about my snakes at all, does he?" Mitsuki answered.

"No. He'd think it's from me," Sarada said, as she thought of it further. "Wait, yes. Distract him, or something, I dunno."

"Hm. We can't really plan well if we don't know what we're facing, but I can do that if the situation calls for it." Mitsuki lifted up his hand and waited for movement from under his kimono's sleeve. Slowly, a small snake slithered out. "So, are you sure you're going to let me do this?"

Sarada smiled at him with a determined look on her face before nodding. "Yes, better than not knowing what to expect. Tell me what you find as soon as there is something."

The snake quickly vanished in a puff of smoke. Mitsuki and Sarada then walked down the river bank toward where the water reached their thighs. After soaking their faces and arms, they leaped off to continue their mission, and by that time Mitsuki's snake had already entered the cave.

 

* * *

 

Sasuke watched from outside the window of the hospital room. It gave him a view of Konoha that was completely different from what he usually saw from the Hokage tower. It looked like the usual morning, without any sign of disturbance. He just noted how the sun shone more brightly today than it did the previous weeks. The view was peaceful but his mind was not.

The nine-tails was reborn a few weeks ago but Konoha didn't want to make a big deal out of it anymore. The beast was going to be a free creature from then on and was no longer a threat to the people. This was just one of the many things the world owed to its late hero.

He glanced at Boruto's sleeping form - he hadn't stirred since. But Sakura assured him he would wake up soon.

There was one thing bothering Sasuke that he didn't dare alert the council yet, one thing he was afraid other people had already found out - the beast was born in an extremely weakened state. It might have had something to do with how it previously died - the creature sacrificed itself after all. Surely it would soon grow its strength and fully recover, but for now its state was in fluctuation.

Sensing other unauthorized chakra signatures around the tailed beast, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. It was right at this moment that he became sure - the department assigned to monitor the nine-tailed beast could not be trusted. He would confront them if he could, but he had to remind himself that his responsibilities were no longer confined to protecting Konoha from the outside; he was now the Hokage and had to protect it from the inside.

His mind drifted off to his daughter and Mitsuki. He had sent them off on their own. He almost felt bad for Sarada - he'd had given her too many personal missions just because she was his daughter. But he trusted her with everything. He regretted letting her grow up without him around. It wasn't long before he grew very fond of her, however, not because he could see himself in her, but because he could see almost the same emotional maturity his older brother had. He would follow Sarada and Mitsuki on their mission as soon as the village itself was clear of any threat.

Although he still wouldn't speak of it to anyone, Sasuke already knew exactly what - or _who_ \- he had to face. The _dobe's_ chakra signature was, after all, way too clear to him.

 

* * *

 

His sense of hearing was the first to pull him back to his consciousness, although really slowly. He heard some beeping, and whirring, and nothing else, but all of it were muffled. And then gradually, he started to feel. The air was cool against his face but his body felt warm beneath the blankets.

_The hospital, of course_ , he thought.

He tried to move his hand and open his eyes but he still felt too weak. His throat stung and he wanted to grab the tube that was suffocating him but he couldn't move. He gave up trying. Boruto could only rely on his hearing for now.

He was almost sure the room was empty before he heard a soft knock on the door, followed by his mentor's voice coming just a few steps away from the foot of his bed.

"Come in," Sasuke said.

He heard the door open and the sound of someone walking toward where he lay. A hand gently touched his own.

"Sasuke, have you heard from either of them?" Sakura asked. Boruto felt a tug on his skin at the back of his right hand. He figured he had a drip attached to it.

"No, but I am not expecting anything yet," Sasuke answered. "It is a good sign. She never sends word during a mission unless she's either in deep trouble or she has important information I don't already know. Even if they kept a quick, steady pace, they still wouldn't have reached the destination right now. Give them another hour."

"Hmm," Sakura replied as though she understood. The tube in his throat moved slightly and Bolt mentally groaned. He had to alert her that he was awake just to get that thing out of him. To his dismay, he couldn't.

"Is there anything else bothering you, Sasuke?" the medic asked.

"The council will have to find out about this immediately," Sasuke answered in an instant, as if he was just waiting for Sakura to ask the question. "I need to hold a meeting."

"You're going to tell them about Na-"

"About the nine-tails, yes," Sasuke said, before she could continue. "I am sure some of the traitors from the ANBU are planning something unforgivable to do with the beast. The council needs to know its current condition too."

Bolt heard someone pull a chair near his bed and figured Sakura settled herself down. He heard her sigh deeply.

"Are you really sure this is happening?" Sakura groaned in frustration. "Does Hinata know yet?"

Sasuke did not answer.

 

* * *

 

"Mitsuki! We're almost there and you haven't said anything yet. What have you found out?" Sarada asked as she and her teammate continued their way deep into the forest. Before them, they could see a broad valley and a river snaking its way around the mountains.

Mitsuki's thoughts were partially caught inside the mind of the snake he had just sent. The sight of the two ANBU guards they'd attacked and hypnotized earlier was the first to tell him they were heading toward the right place. He had somehow expected it but he was still relieved.

What he saw next through the eyes of the snake was something he was definitely not prepared for.

There were two figures sitting by the fire, and although the snake could not hear, he knew they were talking to each other. He determined the weapon-clad man was Kansuke before his gaze landed on the other figure before him - it sent chills down his spine and he suddenly lost his footing, catching himself before he fell.

"Mitsuki! What is it?" Sarada asked. The young lad stared at her as he tried to steady himself back up. "Were you listening to what I was saying?"

"Sorry," he muttered. "Just trying to dispel the snake," he lied. The last thing he saw was a weapon being tossed from the direction of Kansuke toward the snake, which it had barely missed.

"Did you find anything then?" Sarada asked, seemingly convinced.

Mitsuki nodded. "Yeah, just the two ANBU we've come across earlier, and Kansuke," he answered.

"Hm, just them?" she asked, her face and tone clear of any suspicion, before she turned her back against him again and started moving forward. "Anything else?"

Mitsuki took a deep breath, and decided not to answer. Sarada didn't mind.

 

* * *

 

"Do you know what to do, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"Don't worry, Sakura. If it really is him, even if he is not in control, he is still someone we can trust - "

"Yes, but why does he always have to deal with the most horrible things?" Sakura whispered toward Sasuke softly.

"I will do what I can and I will face this myself."

Boruto sensed the sincerity in Sasuke's response. No matter how far he stretched his imagination, Bolt could not make sense of it. _Who and what were they talking_ _about?_

"Take me with you," Sakura suggested.

"I'll send word for you and Hinata to follow once the situation is clear of any danger," Sasuke said. "The traitors are still on the loose, but of course I'll make sure they get caught in no time. For now, however, I need to arrange a meeting with the council and make sure Konoha is in order before I leave."

This time Bolt wondered what the news of the nine-tails still had to do with his family. _What was it that distressed both Sakura and Sasuke so much?_

Suddenly, he heard the door open again and someone else came in. Sakura stood from her seat.

"Hinata! Did you see Himawari?" Sakura asked.

"No, but a lot of people told us she was seen with both Shikadai and Inojin." Bolt heard his mother answer.

Knowing his mother was with them now, he felt determined to let them know he was awake. With all the strength he could muster, his hand gripped the sheet beneath him and pulled hard. His hand barely moved and he winced. _Still too weak._ But soon he realized it was enough for them to notice him.

"Bolt," Sakura called out to him as she took his right hand.

"Hey, son," Hinata rushed toward his side and placed her hand on her forehead, wiping the hair off his face. "Can you hear me?"

Bolt tried to lift his left arm up to reach for his mother's hand but he couldn't. Hinata carefully lowered his arm down to the bed instead. "It's okay."

"The anesthesia is only starting to wear off, Bolt. You're fine, you'll be able to move more easily soon," Sakura said in a reassuring tone. She moved the blankets off of him. "Try moving your toes."

He did as he was told. Good, Sakura mentally noted. "Lift your leg up a bit and fold your knee," she said.

Bolt also did as he was told but his lower body felt too heavy. Sakura helped him lower his leg down carefully.

Seeing his student start to recover as Sakura had promised, Sasuke felt better. "I need to go," he announced. He headed straight to Sakura and held her hands, giving them a soft squeeze before he turned toward Hinata.

He almost looked as if he was going to say something to her before his eyes shifted away from her and he shook his head. He placed one hand on her shoulder instead before nodding. Then he left.

 

* * *

 

As the long narrow fissure which led to the cave came to view, Mitsuki quickly grabbed Sarada by the arm.

"We can't just barge in like this," he said. "Kansuke is probably expecting your arrival. Let me distract him."

"How?" Sarada asked.

To answer her question, he conjured a hand sign and he transformed. In an instant, Sarada was staring at her own face.

"Wow, damn Mitsuki," she gaped at him. "How many times have you transformed into me before?"

"I've always perfected my transformation jutsu from day one, Sarada," he said, his eyes narrowing at his teammate. "But trust me, this is the first time I've transformed into you," he added, winking before he ran ahead of her.

Quickly, they both descended down the steps of the fissure, with Mitsuki, who looked indistinguishable from Sarada, leading the way. They estimated the depth would run at least three to five kilometers. At Mitsuki's cue, they gradually slowed down and each of them reached for a kunai.

Mitsuki stopped and Sarada almost asked him why, but soon the appearance of his eyes changed. He turned to Sarada while maintaining his senjutsu. "The cave is clear of Kansuke's chakra signature but I'm positive he's still out there, just near enough for me to follow. You might want to go down there for your own eyes to see what they've been up to, Sarada. I will look for Kansuke."

Sarada stared at him, confused at what he meant. _If the cave was empty, why did she still need to proceed?_

"Follow my track as soon as you can." Mitsuki tapped her on the shoulder before he started his way back up to the surface. "And do send my greetings _to him_ too, it's been a while," he added, leaving Sarada confused, again.

Sarada watched as he disappeared before taking a deep breath. Her mind swam through Mitsuki's words, partly trying to figure them out and partly because they made her heart race. Her pace quickened and soon she was almost running, each of her steps echoing loudly across the void.

Without hesitation, she stepped in as soon as she had reached the very mouth of the cave. Her blood ran cold the moment her eyes landed on the only person inside it. Her knees shook and reached for the wall for her to lean on.

He, on the other hand, was already smiling softly at her. "No mistaking it - Sarada."

She stared back at him, her body trembling as she tried to straighten up. He looked the same the last time she saw him, except dimmed orbs replaced his blue eyes.

 

_"Lord Seventh,"_ she bowed down. _"How?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited. The average length of future chapters will be similar to this, although it can go as long as 4k words, but nothing nearly as long as the flashbacks. XD Sorry if the perspectives from which I was writing could be a bit confusing. Thanks to everyone who had reviewed the previous chapters! I'll try to respond to all of you as soon as I can.


	12. Chapter Twelve

" _How_? I don't know how they did it either, Sarada," the Seventh Hokage answered, although the dark-haired kunoichi could not hear a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

He just seemed to be very... delighted, and it felt very welcoming.

Without thinking, Sarada took a few steps forward to where he was, stopping midway after realizing what she was doing.

She gasped before looking at him. "I'm sorry - can I?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, come here."

She proceeded and carefully noted that his arms and shanks were bound, with seals covering his limbs almost entirely. She observed him as she knelt.

"It really is you, Lord Se - " she began before Naruto cut her off.

" _Uncle Naruto_. You used to call me that before, back when you were still tiny and mischievous," he said, grinning.

"But you weren't Hokage yet back then," she said, half smiling and half laughing. "This is embarrassing, Uncle Naruto. You remember those things better than I ever will."

Naruto nodded, thinking. "Do you remember when you used to tell everyone I was your - "

"That you were my papa?"

"Yes," Naruto answered, and chuckled as she watched Sarada blush in embarrassment.

"Mama told me, yeah. That I used to believe you were my papa, and begged for you to carry both me and Himawari together instead of Boruto," Sarada said, sighing. "And that Hima told everyone in her first weeks in the academy that I was her older sister, even though I lacked the whiskers, yeah."

"Sakura told you all of that?" Naruto asked, relieved that the young girl didn't show any fear as she sat near the reanimated Hokage.

"Yes, to help me be more forgiving of Bolt every time he obsessed about our _'rivalry_ '," Sarada giggled. "Mama said I kind of stole some father-and-child moments with you from him."

Naruto laughed because it was true. "Only for you to find out that your real Papa was way cooler than me, huh?"

Sarada smiled. "He's cool too, but you're nothing like each other at all."

Naruto's gaze shifted to the ground but his smile did not leave his face. "How's everyone?" he asked.

Sarada considered the question for a moment, before answering. "Um, good, I guess," she said, her voice somehow trailing off. " _Coping_ ," she added.

Naruto winced. The word pierced she used right through him, and he knew what it meant. _It must have been difficult, and it was sudden._

"If only I can tell everyone how sorry I am for what I did," Naruto muttered. Sarada looked at him, surprised. "I didn't have enough time to think about how it would affect everyone - "

"We all know you only did what you could," Sarada retorted in a whisper. "There's nothing you have to be sorry for. And if there's anything... on behalf of the entire village - _thank you for everything you've done_." She bowed her head.

The gesture surprised Naruto but it also brought him warmth. This was the first time he felt genuinely glad to be back - having previously felt only overwhelming disgust at his own reanimation.

The figure before him sat back, facing him once more.

"Do you know why, Uncle Naruto? Did they tell you why they're doing this?" she asked.

He knew, of course, because although Kansuke didn't tell him a lot yet, he knew Kansuke had been honest with his goal.

This, however, wasn't something he wanted to burden Sarada with. He shook his head to tell her 'no'.

Upon seeing the look of dismay on her face, Naruto spoke. "You're growing to resemble Sakura more as the years go by. You smile just like her now, even when you're sad."

Sarada's eyes gleamed, their color seemingly even darker her father's. "Auntie Hinata told me the same thing just a few days ago."

This was the first time he heard the name he was trying so hard not to think of. Suddenly, he felt his eyes sting and Sarada seemed to have noticed since she looked away.

"I hope Himawari took more from her beautiful mother than from me," Naruto laughed and Sarada's frame relaxed, beaming.

"She looks so much like Auntie Hinata now, too. It's unbelievable. She's very beautiful," she said.

Naruto smiled.

As his strength gradually returned, the late Hokage started to acquire better sense of what was happening outside. He could remember the surge of the nine-tails' full power as if their sacrifice just happened yesterday, and he could feel the same energy now emanating, but fluctuating, like it used to - although this time, it was coming from outside his own body entirely.

He knew Kansuke and anyone he had on his side were acting now, and that they were acting fast. Naruto did not want to be reckless in this state - and he'd already been way too reckless before. This time, he would have to trust Sasuke on this. He just hoped the burden on his rival wasn't too much at this point.

He turned his attention to Sarada. "I am sure Sasuke already knows I'm here," he said. "And that he just had to send you ahead."

"I think so, yeah. He can't just leave Konoha right now," she answered. "Especially after what happened to Bolt."

Naruto glanced at her worryingly just before Sarada realized what she'd said. "How is he?" he asked.

"You knew what happened?" she asked, surprised that Naruto seemed to know.

"Yes, Kansuke told me," Naruto answered.

Sarada's hands balled into fists, "It was their doing then, too." She gritted her teeth. "Mama said he will be okay. But I had to leave before I could see him recover."

"If Sakura said he will be okay, I trust her," Naruto said, smiling at Sarada again. "What did Sasuke specifically instruct you to do?" Naruto asked.

"Track Kansuke," Sarada answered, before getting on her feet. "I guess I'll have to stick with that?"

Naruto nodded in confirmation. "Then you need to get going."

Sarada brushed the dirt off her skirt before reaching for the note in her pocket. She clenched it inside her fist.

"They should all really see you too, everyone back home," she said, her eyes starting to sting at the realization that there were people close to their hearts who would trade anything just to talk to him again the way she just did. "You have no idea how many times, in a day, Bolt would wish to see you one more time. Auntie Hinata, Hima, Mama... they all miss you too so much."

Naruto heaved a sigh. "If the circumstances will allow, Sarada, we will meet," he only managed to say.

Sarada bowed one last time, "Hokage-sama, Mitsuki also wanted to extend his greetings to you, too. Also," Sarada extended her hand to Naruto's and placed the note on his hand. "The scribble at the bottom confused me earlier but now it makes sense. I think it's for you."

After giving him the note, Sarada turned her back against him and ran toward the mouth of the cave. She waved at him before completely disappearing from sight. "I'll see you later then, Uncle Naruto!"

Naruto watched as the young Uchiha disappeared, before smiling to himself, "Later."

Using the limited movement his hands could perform, he slowly opened the note.

At the bottom and rightmost corner, below Sasuke's straightforward instructions to Sarada, were three other words.

_Usuratonkachi, get ready._

Then for the first time since he'd been reanimated, Naruto Uzumaki felt closer to home.

* * *

"The coordinates point to..." Shikadai looked around, briefly scanning the area near the entrance gates, "... here," he said, pointing at a bushy area just a few feet beside the guard post.

"There?" Himawari asked, snatching the note from her friend's hand. "That's not even outside the village at all."

"It did not say it has to be somewhere outside the village," Shikadai said.

"Rather odd," Himawari commented.

"I'll go check it out now," Inojin said before walking toward the bushes.

"No, wait. What if it's a trap?" Hima said, grabbing Inojin by the arm.

"Hm," Inojin stopped, trying to think. "Here," he said, kneeling down with a scroll already in his hand. He opened the scroll and laid it on the floor, before inking two small dogs with his brush.

Quickly, after forming three hand signs, two dogs leaped into view and hurried toward the woods where the bushes were. The dogs sniffed before barking toward Inojin.

"Safe to approach," Inojin told Shikadai. "Go ahead."

Without hesitating, Shikadai ran toward the area. Himawari and Inojin watched him as he knelt, a surprised look was spreading on his face.

"What the hell," he gasped, before turning toward Himawari and Inojin.

The two, along with another regular shinobi guarding the post, soon joined him. Two masked figures were lying unconscious, with ropes that resembled snakes coiled around their bodies.

"What is this? An attack against the anbu guards?" the regular guard asked.

"No," Shikadai answered. "I don't think so. Here's a note," he said, unfolding the piece of paper attached to the rope. He started reading -

_Attacked me and Sarada this morning.  
_ _Couldn't do more about them as we had to leave.  
_ _Bring them in for interrogation.  
_ _If in doubt, ask for your own father's judgment, Shikadai._

"Signed by Mitsuki," he finished.

Himawari and Inojin looked at each other before nodding.

"You both can start bringing them to the intelligence team, while I look for Uncle Shikamaru," Himawari said, ready to leave.

"No, we all go together," Shikadai told Himawari. "After what happened to Boruto, we can't leave you alone."

"But what if this is urgent - "

Before Himawari could finish the question, two anbu landed before them.

"You three aren't going anywhere with our comrades," the one with the cat mask said. "If we can incapacitate Boruto that easily, we can take you three out as well without breaking a sweat."

"I don't think so," the regular shinobi guard stepped between the anbu and Shikadai's group. Forming two hand signs, he transformed, revealing her real identity.

"Mirai!" Himawari called. "It's you!"

"Hm," Kurenai's daughter nodded to confirm. "After what happened to Bolt, I wanted to keep an eye on you."

"Let's see how you four would fare against us then," the one behind the hawk mask said, assuming an offensive stance.

Approaching just a few yards around the corner, Chocho was careful enough to hear the threat. Deciding not to go further, she leaped off. She reminded herself that the Hokage tower would be empty today, which she overheard her father saying this morning. With this in mind, she headed straight toward the Konoha hospital, where the information she had was much needed.

* * *

_Uchiha compound_

"I would like to apologize for the urgency of this meeting, as well as my unexpected choice of location," Sasuke said, as the members of the council settled before him.

The council now composed of four people who knew the Eighth, as well as the Seventh, better than any other people in the village, much to Sasuke's relief. Still, he wanted to maintain the same formality the council meetings always had.

Seated on his right was his own mentor, Kakashi, and Gai, and on his left were Kurenai and Shizune. Standing by the door, always present at his council meetings, was his own right hand man, Shikamaru.

"Nothing to worry about, Sasuke," Kakashi assured him.

Ever since he'd been instated as Hokage, the Uchiha was never seen wearing the hat or the cloak. He simply refused, once stating that the title was never formally handed down to him, and that the circumstances that led to his inauguration were nothing short of tragic.

 _It made sense now_ , Kakashi thought, why Tsunade almost never wore the cap or the cloak either.

He noted the lack of documents - Sasuke seemed to have brought only himself and nothing else. Nothing new, Sasuke had always hated writing things on paper.

"I'll be very straightforward - this meeting is about the nine-tailed fox," Sasuke said. "We all know about its recent rebirth, no concerns about that, but information regarding its current state is a secret - it's currently very weak."

"How long have you known this, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke sighed. "I've been uncertain from day one, but I made sure it was being monitored. _That's where my mistake was_ ," he said, earning confused faces from everyone in the room.

"There is a special department assigned to oversee the beast -" Shizune said.

"Exactly. A department I should never have trusted," Sasuke said, before he suddenly stood, his eyes intent on the door. Upon noticing this, Shikamaru placed one hand firmly on the knob. "Open," Sasuke muttered.

Shikamaru pulled the door and with unmatched speed, Sasuke threw three shuriken, barely missing two anbu guards on purpose who leaped off just in time.

"What was that?" Kurenai asked, standing from her seat. "Were those your personal guards, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha shook his head. "No word was sent to the anbu regarding this meeting," he answered sternly, his eyes narrowing at the spot where his shuriken landed. "And none of them was ever allowed to set foot on this place at all."

"What is happening?" Kakashi asked, concern and urgency evident in his voice. "First, the attack on the Uzumaki residence. Then now, this?"

"Spread word to the entire village: _Never trust anyone masked_ ," Sasuke announced, pulling two black gloves from his pocket before wearing them on his hands. "Also, I need to leave the village now. Meeting dismissed."

"Wait, you're leaving, _now_?" Shizune asked.

"What for? To check the nine-tailed fox personally?" Gai asked. "With all these unresolved chaos ensuing within the village-"

"I'm sorry. But there are matters outside the village greater than what is happening here right now," Sasuke answered calmly. "I'm making sure the village gets looked after well. I've already asked for help."

"Help? From who?" Kakashi asked.

Before Sasuke could answer, Temari peeked into the room, soon stepping into view as Shikamaru gestured. When Sasuke turned his gaze to her, she spoke.

"They've arrived, Hokage-sama."

Sasuke nodded. "You can see for yourself, Kakashi-sensei," he said, looking at the former Hokage, before he shifted his focus toward the open door. "Come in."

Stepping into view were three people, dressed in thick and heavy clothing.

Kakashi gaped. "Kankuro? Shinki, and... the Kazekage?"

All other members of the council stood up as Gaara stepped into the room, all of them briefly bowing their heads at the same time.

"Good to see you again, the Sixth," Gaara greeted Kakashi before turning to Sasuke.

"I hope we are not too late, Sasuke. We kept our arrival as discreet and as confidential as possible," the longest-reigning Kazekage said.

"Thank you for responding to our aid," Sasuke simply answered.

"Suna will never withhold any form of assistance to the Leaf," Gaara assured him.

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, who nodded in approval. The Eighth Hokage took this approval that he was now free to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited. Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Work is killing me.
> 
> Having Gaara in there wasn't planned at all. Just a last minute decision when he randomly popped into my head. So there he goes, who doesn't love him, though? We all love Gaara.
> 
> Hope you liked this short update! Til the next.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_"Dad?"_

 

Boruto felt like he was staring deep into his own eyes as he spoke to the figure in front of him. Bolt took two steps forward. Naruto took two steps back.

"You have to go," Naruto said, his cloak billowing behind him with the wind. "Forget that you saw me again."

His father looked exactly like the last time he saw him a few years back, and he sounded just the same. Boruto's jaw dropped and his hands began to shake. All Bolt wanted now was to go nearer, but the flame in Naruto's eyes grew and Bolt's blood ran cold at the weight of the older man's stare.

 

_Is Dad angry at me?_

 

Bolt could only stare back.

"I told you, Boruto, LEAVE -- "

"No!" He yelled back with his fists clenched at his sides, fingers digging painfully into his own palms. His father didn't even want to talk to him --

"This isn't the time to be stubborn, Boruto -- "

"This is the first time I see you in years and all you could tell me is that I have to leave?!"

"Yes, because it's all you have to do right now," Naruto responded sternly, his voice barely carrying any emotion. 

Bolt's eyes were starting to well up and he began to tremble, not out of fear but of rejection -- there was nothing but emptiness in the way Naruto spoke to him.

Boruto knew he had to speak, or he'd never have the chance to talk to him again, like what happened two years ago. He couldn't let this moment pass.

"And..." he managed to say before his voice cracked, "... if I don't?"

The young man waited as his father took a deep breath before speaking.

 

"I might end up killing you."

 

Boruto had always dealt with different levels of shock, but this caught him off-guard. Soon, the tears he'd tried to hold back were flowing freely down his face and it seemed like his eyes forgot how to blink. Naruto didn't even flinch. There were no attempts to say more.

"And you're not even going to tell me why?" Boruto asked.

Before he could receive an answer, suddenly he couldn't breathe. His back hit the wall and his father's face was just an inch away from his own. Looking down, he saw that Naruto's hand wrapped tightly against his throat and his other arm pushed Boruto's body against the concrete.

"Dad--" he managed to cough in between attempts to breathe. He mouthed "Why?"

Naruto looked at him in the eye and sighed. "I'm not in control of myself, Boruto."

 

His attempts to breathe were getting harder and soon it was impossible; Boruto soon stopped trying to breathe. He stared softly back into Naruto's eyes as his own hands tried to pull the one around his throat. Naruto did not let go. 

Boruto tried to exert more force but the resistance against him only got stronger. His dad had always been stronger than him. But he couldn't... he couldn't just give up. 

He couldn't just die like this. He wouldn't let himself die.

As he struggled harder, the weight against his body became heavier. His vision spun and soon he had to close his eyes. Being out of breath seemed to feel too similar to drowning and Boruto could not remember feeling anything worse than this. 

 

_I didn't know dying hurt this much._

 

"Boruto!"

Piercing through the darkness that began enveloping him, he almost missed it but it seemed he heard someone call.

"Boruto! Can you hear me?" 

 _There it was again_. Suddenly, he felt like he was going to throw up. The emptiness started to spin around him like a vacuum. 

"I know you can hear me. You're okay, son, you're okay -- "

From a complete deafening silence, to hallucinating what sounded like voices, then to beeping... _Beeping... each one growing louder than the other._

"We'll get it out, Boruto." There it was again. "Just relax..."

The tightness in his throat began to loosen and a coughing fit ensued. Bolt groaned.

"This time there won't be pain, I promise." Another voice assured him.

The surroundings fell silent as the young man began to relax. He tried to open his eyes but immediately shut them because the light was blinding. He felt two hands rest on his arms gently, one tapping him softly in a rhythmic pattern.

"The pain kicked in as you were beginning to wake up earlier, so Sakura had to give you another dose of sedative," he heard someone speak. Not long after, his hearing became less muffled and he finally recognized it was his mother's.

Boruto tried to move. This time it was easier than his earlier attempt.

"I'm sorry, it was uncomfortable... the breathing tube, I mean." He recognized the other voice as Sakura's. "I wanted to get it out earlier but I can imagine breathing on your own will... hurt a little?"

As if to confirm she was right, Boruto winced before slowly opening one eye and clearing his throat. "Yeah," he managed to say.

At the sound of his voice, Hinata jumped lightly in joy before carefully wrapping her arms around Boruto's head, cradling him gently like a kid. A smile swept across her son's face.

"Mom," he whispered. "Did I worry you?" he asked as he realized she was crying.

"A bit, Boruto," she chuckled. "Don't ever do that again. You gave your sister another nightmare though."

Boruto frowned. He could still remember the look of horror in his sister's face before he passed out last night. He wanted to ask about her but a knock on the door interrupted him before he could even speak.

"Come in," Sakura said.

A nurse stepped in and Sakura leaned back to glance toward the door. Someone else seemed to be with her. Sakura stood up and walked towards them.

"First Lady Sakura," Chocho bowed her head lightly, waiting for Sakura to tell her to proceed.

"Oh, Chocho! Are you visiting Boruto?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, yes, I also wanted to know how he's doing, if I can..." she answered.

"Yes, of course," Sakura said, stepping back to let the young girl into the room, before nodding to the nurse to tell her she could leave Chocho with them.

The nurse left and Sakura closed the door behind them. Chocho gasped as she saw Boruto smiling at her.

The young man hastily raised one arm to wave at her but yelped as he did so. "Ow... that hurt, that hurt."

"You shouldn't move too much yet," Hinata glared at him.

"Bolt! You're awake! We were thinking you'd be out for the entire day," Chocho said as she ran toward his bed.

Boruto tried to straighten up slowly as Hinata reclined the bed forward. "Ah, no. Sleeping is boring. Resting is for the weak!" he exclaimed.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and sighed. "No, I'm pretty sure the pain will be keeping you in bed for a while." She assured Hinata with a wink.

Boruto heaved heavily. 

"I was actually meaning to talk to you also, Lady Hinata and Lady Sakura," Chocho said.

"Oh, okay," Hinata said before hesitating," ... should we -- ?" she gestured toward the door.

Chocho and Sakura nodded. They glanced at Boruto but he did not protest. As much as he'd wanted to know what she had to tell them, any form of protest would earn a little, gentle scolding from his mom which he'd want to avoid at all costs.

He watched from the corner of his eye as the three women talked silently among themselves. It didn't take long before Hinata walked back to him.

"I have to leave for a short while," she told him. "They need either me or Sakura, but I'd rather we have the chief medic remain in the hospital." Hinata smiled at him before placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Is anything wrong?" Boruto asked.

Hinata shook her head. "No, just something minor to attend to. I believe Sasuke and Shikamaru are both busy, that's why Chocho went to us instead."

Making her son worry was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Where is Hima?" he asked, as she turned to leave.

Hinata paused for a moment, before glancing back at him. "She's with your friends, so you don't have to worry too much. She's safe," she assured him before she walked towards the door.

She and Chocho waved at him and Sakura before exiting the room. 

Sakura turned to him as soon as they'd left, her eyes bearing so much distress that wasn't there earlier. "Were you in agony earlier? Any pain other than what the tube left in your throat?"

Bolt was surprised by her question, and considered it for a moment. He shook his head, "A while ago? Not really."

Sakura lowered her head to look at him straight in the eyes. "Because you were struggling, and I don't think it was caused by mere physical pain. Also, I just gave you a pain killer."

Bolt felt like someone punched him directly on the chest as the realization dawned on him. "Oh."

Sakura didn't say anything. Bolt figured she wanted him to open up.

"Just a nightmare -- " he said, his eyes fixed on the blank wall in front of him. "-- that felt too real."

"Was it something you've never dreamt about before?" she asked.

"No," he frowned, biting his bottom lip until it hurt. "Just my dad being back from the dead, acting nothing like himself, somehow determined to kill me while yelling at me to flee," he muttered.

Sakura stood wide-eyed at him before lowering herself to the chair beside his bed. Bolt observed her. Her hands clutched her seat tightly, as if trying to keep her composure. He waited for her to speak, but she only responded with a nod.

As an unwelcome silence lingered between him and Sakura, Boruto was certain the uneasy feeling in his gut wasn't just caused by the wound that almost tore his stomach in half.

 

* * *

 

Sarada wondered how far Mitsuki and Kansuke were, given how both her teammate and Naruto told her they wouldn't be too far. However, she'd ran miles and still the trail went on, and her mind had already wandered off too many times already -- most of the time back to Bolt, to the reanimated Hokage, and to wondering what the hell her father had already planned on doing.

She didn't worry too much about her father -- all her life she'd never saw him fail, and she believed he was the most powerful man to live next to the Seventh, although most people, including her bestfriend and son of the Seventh, were convinced Sasuke was his equal both in strength and in power.

But she was too bothered. With her bestfriend attacked by fellow Anbu, powerful shinobi acting behind her father's back, a weird mission, and lastly -- the reanimated Hokage. She felt happy, sad, and afraid -- happy to see him, devastated by the circumstance through which he'd returned, and afraid what this might bring.

But she had no choice; she had to focus on the trail before her.

Every now and then there were snakes on her tracks. She silently wished Mitsuki thought of being a little more discreet in leaving a trail, but she figured this was for her own good anyway; she could track him faster if the trail was more obvious. 

She wondered if he somehow forgot she had the sharingan.

Soon she noticed more snakes appearing than previously -- a sign that she was nearing them.

But instead of finding her teammate on combat against Kansuke, she found him keeping cover behind a tree at around twenty feet from the ground. 

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Shh silence, Uchiha," Mitsuki muttered back quite playfully.

Sarada rolled her eyes at the response as she leaped to peek behind him. 

It didn't take her long to see what he'd been observing. Just far enough that they'd go unnoticed, was a cliff, revealing a narrow pathway snaking around the edge of the mountain a few miles below.  

Gathered around were some in Anbu uniform, some with masks and some without, so Sarada could recognize a number of them perfectly. Others wore civilian clothing. She estimated there was around fifteen of them. Her eyes soon got fixed on a carriage, a huge crate resting at the center of it.

"Is that--?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes, could you guess what's inside?" Mitsuki responded.

"No way, don't tell me--" she said, shaking her head, slowly backing away from the scene.

"When you heard the nine-tails was back and was now being monitored by our own nin, how did you imagine things were going?" Mitsuki asked, grabbing her by the forearm.

"The way it's supposed to be--"

"Exactly, the way the Seventh and the Eighth intended it to be--free and untouched in anyway, not like this," Mitsuki said, his eyes still focused on the scene unfolding in front of them.

"Are they trying to take it somewhere else? What do we do? _Damn_ ," Sarada asked. 

Mitsuki could feel her uneasiness although she was really often good at hiding it.

"Hm. You think we could handle all of these--the nine-tails and more than a dozen of our former comrades in Anbu--with just the two of us?" Mitsuki asked.

Sarada gaped at him in disbelief.

"Hell no," she replied.

"I thought so too. Then who else could contain and control the nine-tails better than your father now? Since he's not here," Mitsuki asked her, his tone hinting he already knew the answer to his own question. When Sarada was taking a while to respond, he continued. "You've just talked to him, haven't you?"

She stared at him nervously. "The Seventh Hokage? They're bringing the nine-tails to him?"

"I suppose--"

"And we're just supposed to watch?" Sarada asked.

"What did your dad tell you to do?"

" _Track Kansuke_! That's all! What the hell do we do now? How can he be so ambiguous--"

"Calm down, Sarada! Listen, that's what he told you. Now, what did the Seventh say?" he said, placing emphasis on every word.

"He told me to do as my Papa told me," Sarada responded, her shoulders relaxing.

Mitsuki smiled at her. "See, maybe your old man wasn't being ambiguous after all. He was actually pretty blunt--two words to describe an entire mission."

"Track Kansuke? That's it? He shouldn't be too far from here then?" she asked, scanning the area with her sharingan.

 

"Yep, after all I believe he'll want to be able to orchestrate everything perfectly."

 

* * *

 

Boruto had counted to  _fifty_  before Sakura broke the silence between them.  _Barely a minute_ , he noted. _That couldn't mean anything bad, right?_

That moment felt too long to him, however, and he felt uneasy.

 

_Like someone was watching them._

 

"I'm sure you've realized we're not alone right now, Bolt," Sakura said announced. He was sure she said it aloud on purpose for their new companion to hear.

Bolt nodded. He noticed the unwelcome presence just a while earlier. He brought his hands together to conjure a hand seal--

"No, Bolt. Your system can't handle using too much chakra yet," she interrupted. 

As soon as she stopped speaking, an Anbu with a cat mask landed swiftly behind her, swinging a katana toward her direction. She was quick enough to dodge the attack, before attempting to land a fist on the attacker's head. Cat rolled across the floor, barely avoiding her.

"Boruto!" Sakura yelled. The young man was already on his feet.

Cat left his katana on the floor and attempted to tackle Sakura, but she was able to land a fist on his shoulder. Cat's back and head hit the wall and he fell to the floor, unmoving.

"I think they're after you--" Sakura turned to Bolt, and upon seeing him standing by the window her heart sank.

Another Anbu, one with a fox mask, was already holding Boruto from behind with both arms. Sakura darted toward them but the Fox was quick.

"No, no! Boruto!" she yelled, as the Fox pulled Boruto out the window with him. 

Before she could climb out of the window to follow them, someone grabbed her by the arm.

"Auntie Sakura! No, it's okay. I'm here," Boruto pulled her back and hugged her lightly before facing her. "Look, it's me. I'm okay."

Sakura stared at him for a moment before sighing in relief. "And that was--?" she asked, pointing her thumb behind her toward the window.

"A clone," Boruto said, panting heavily. 

Sakura pulled him into a hug. "You're an idiot, like your dad." She looked at him in the eyes. "Do you plan on dying from chakra exhaustion?"

Boruto grinned at her. "I know this is sudden but I want to ask for your permission."

"Permission to what?" Sakura asked.

"To leave," he answered. When Sakura didn't react, he continued. "To leave the hospital, and go with Uncle Sasuke."

"You know perfectly well I wouldn't allow you, right?" she answered. Boruto nodded. "So isn't it futile to even ask?"

"Yeah, I know," Boruto said, smiling sadly at her.

"But, like your dad, you're the kind of person who won't let himself be stopped," she grinned back sadly at him. _"Tell me, am I talking to a clone now too?"_

Boruto took her hand before nodding. "Sorry, Auntie Sakura," he said. "But I think I need to find Uncle Sasuke. I'll be safe. I promise."

With a wink, the clone in front of her vanished in a puff of smoke. She sighed heavily.

"I hope... the reunion with your father goes well, Boruto," she muttered to herself. She felt her eyes sting and she brought the back of her hand against her eye as a tear threatened to escape. 

 

_"But I also really want to see him too."_

 

* * *

 

He felt so tired and in so much pain he wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly just fell to the floor and died.

Boruto placed one arm softly against his stomach, crouching, ready to fall forward to the ground as he took one more step farther from the hospital. 

" _Shit_ , I don't even know where he could be," Boruto cursed under his breath. 

If an enemy Anbu found him in this state, he was as good as dead. He cursed at himself again. As if he'd managed to attract all the bad luck in the world, he heard something move behind the bushes, just a couple of feet before him.

Bolt toughened himself up in spite of the pain. There was definitely someone out there. Whoever that was, he stopped moving. Maybe he was watching Boruto now instead.

The young man shook as an intense wave of pain traveled from his stomach to his head. He closed his eyes and mentally groaned before he let himself fall forward.

Instead of falling to the floor, however, he fell softly against someone else's shoulder. He looked down.  _Black cloak_.

" _Idiot_ ," the figure Boruto was leaning against grunted in annoyance.

Boruto smiled to himself before chuckling lightly. "You managed to find me," he said.

"I wasn't really looking for you," Sasuke retorted.

"Wow, thanks, I feel so loved," Bolt said, rolling his eyes.

"You're not supposed to have gone out," Sasuke said, pulling away from Boruto but still supporting the young man with both arms.

"I know," Bolt said disappointingly. "But I feel like I need to go with you."

Sasuke looked at him. "Why? Do you even know where I'm going?"

Boruto hesitated. "No."

"Stand up," Sasuke said as he tried to help Boruto lift himself up.

"No, please let me go with you--"

"I said stand up," Sasuke said curtly.

"Please," Boruto said as he began to straighten up. "I promise I won't be a heavy burden to you. If I do, you can leave me behind on the road, I'll understand."

Boruto stood there weakly, waiting for Sasuke to respond. Instead, the Eighth Hokage just turned his back on him before kneeling on one knee. Boruto was momentarily confused.

"If I let you walk, you'll collapse before we even reach a mile beyond the gates of Konoha," Sasuke simply stated. "I won't go too fast."

The young man gaped at him.

Sasuke scowled. "Are you going to let me carry you behind my back or did you change your mind and prefer to stay?" he asked sarcastically.

Boruto darted toward Sasuke and placed his arms over the older man's shoulders and around his neck. Sasuke stood up, softly lifting Boruto behind him.

"Uncle Sasuke, thank you," Boruto whispered.

"Hn," he responded. "You can sleep as we go," Sasuke said as he started to walk toward the gates of Konoha. "It will take us a while, and you'll need it."

"Why?" Boruto asked.

"You'll... find out why, _soon_."

 

Boruto inhaled deeply in relief before closing his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I know this took me a while so I sincerely apologize for that. I have future chapters outlined now so I promise no abandonment will happen. I have mixed feelings about this chapter but this part had been planned from the very beginning.
> 
> Thank you for all the reviews! You're all so kind and the reviews made me feel like my work is appreciated. :) 
> 
> Also, in case you were wondering what motivates me to write this (as well as the other Naruto fics), I listen to Naruto OSTs like Samidare, Ochihabune, and Old Friend. They help so much!
> 
> Hope you like this update! Til the next!


	14. On Saying Goodbye (Flashback)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S WARNING: I am REALLY SORRY. This update is not a continuation of the main storyline at all. I wrote the continuation three times and I wasn't happy with any of them at all. I deleted all of them and I'll rewrite the continuation next week, hopefully I will be satisfied so the story can move forward. I badly want the story to move as much as you do, but my horrible writer's block is seriously getting in the way.
> 
> For the mean time here's a chapter you can skip entirely if you want to. It's a flashback. Several people have asked me to write the funeral and I didn't really think it was a good idea at first. But after a major disappointment (the failure in writing a decent Chapter 14, that is), this idea continued to bug me and I thought I'd just get it over with.
> 
> If you don't like flashbacks, it's safe to skip this entirely. It's written for the people who asked for it. xD

_Let's_  
_pick up_  
_where we left_  
_off: bonds_  
_like friendship_  
_and meaning_  
_started to unravel_  
_beneath the weighted imitation_  
_of life. Can we go_  
_back_  
_to the beginning?_  
_When we were younger_  
_and in some ways wiser_  
_our hearts invincible_  
_able to fill_  
_despite knowing_  
_one day_  
_we will forget_  
_to say  
_ _goodbye._

xxx

There was something incredibly peaceful and comforting in the air, in spite of what she'd prepared herself for.

 _"Must be all the orange and the yellow they had brought in here_ _,"_ she noted, scanning everything around them.

 _"They even found the perfect hue_ _,"_ she commented silently to herself, ignoring the tight knot forming in her stomach.

Sakura's head shot up to see Sasuke step into the crowd, which had begun filing silently into the seats. He was keeping his distance from the people as he observed them, his face void of any expression. Wearing his usual black coat, his form stood out from the flood of bright colors. Somehow this felt very symbolic to Sakura, she just didn't know exactly how.

"I will never be able to convince myself that orange used to be such an eyesore to me."

Sakura turned to see Iruka standing beside her.

The sadness Sakura had been trying to ignore at the pit of her gut threatened to burst at the sight of the people close to them, _close to_ _him_. Sakura tried her best to fight the tears from falling.

She saw Iruka smile. "I will never know why he picked orange as a child. It could be just his favorite, like I've always assumed. But clearly, the color stood out, almost as if trying to catch attention."

Sakura let out a sigh. _Don't, please, sensei_ , she pleaded in her mind as her eyes began to sting.

"Little did young Naruto know, time will come when this same color will symbolize something entirely different and hopeful, something his entire village will love."

A tear or two might have escaped, Sakura tried her best to ignore her own emotions. She wasn't sure how long she'd been biting at her lip, but now it hurt so badly.

He did not even glance at her, but to the pink-haired medic, his words had already given her so much comfort.

"He was like your son", she whispered almost absent-mindedly, "wasn't he?"

 _"A son, a brother, a friend, a hero... Yes,_ _"_ Iruka answered.

Before she knew it, Iruka had already disappeared into the crowd.

 

* * *

 

 

"Idiot," Sasuke accidentally muttered softly to himself, as he tried to shrug off the heavy feeling in his chest.

He wasn't even sure if he meant to say that to himself or to someone or to no one in particular. The word just... _escaped_ him.

He could not remember when it became a habit, _or if it was even a habit to begin with_ , but he had been thinking or saying _idiot, loser, stupid_ , every time he was pissed off and it just felt so empty having no one to receive the end of it. The receiver was no longer there.

Sasuke let out a grunt.

Hidden under his coat, his arm was burning with possibly the worst pain he'd ever felt, second to having his other arm completely ripped off before. Unlike the last time, however, the pain in slowly healing so many broken bones lasted way longer. Sasuke refused to take any pain medication.

He knew none of it would take care of the pain he needed to get rid off the most.

His eyes drifted to the closed, bronze casket sitting in the middle of the platform, almost buried in so many white and yellow flowers.

_"You really are such a loser."_

 

* * *

 

 

Everyone turned when the late Hokage's family stepped into view.

Hanabi held Himawari's hand as she pulled her gently, leading her to the front row; the young girl's eyes were fixed on the ground. As they approached, the sea of flowers caught her attention and her gaze followed its trail — as soon as Himawari's eyes rested on the casket, she flinched.

When Boruto stepped in soon after, it was hard to miss — he, after all, was the only one who inherited the blonde hair. While his sister wore a white dress, Bolt was dressed rather casually, with only a white shirt and his usual pants. His headband hung loosely around his neck and his hands were in his pockets. As he reached the front row, he kept his back turned against the casket the entire time. He smiled softly and bowed lightly when he saw Kakashi looking at him a few rows back.

Kakashi responded with a soft nod from under his Hokage hat.

 _He hasn't been sleeping at all_ , the copy ninja noted.

"Do you know if he has been eating okay?" Kakashi asked, addressing the young boy seated beside him.

Shikadai only shook his head—his friend hadn't really talked to anyone since.

 

* * *

 

 

Sakura could only watch as Hinata approached the crowd. Her hair was tied up with a white ribbon and she was wearing an orange kimono. Sakura recognized it was the gift from Naruto — the gift she once helped him choose.

As much as she wanted to comfort her and make sure Hinata was okay, she didn't know what to say or do. She could not imagine being in her place right now. But the First Lady was a strong woman, she reminded herself, as she watched her smile and approach her family who had been seated in the crowd.

She greeted each of them, her eyes sincerely conveying her gratitude. But there was something in the way she carried herself that made Sakura's heart break — Hinata did not spare the casket a glance at all.

Her gracefulness lasted for every person she greeted, but when, at the end of the row, she came face to face with her own teacher, Hinata was rather caught off guard.

"Kurenai," she stared at her.

"Hinata, darling..." the crimson-eyed woman placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder, and they stared at each other, seemingly longing to communicate in silence...

... _Until Hinata could not fake it any longer._

Kurenai quickly pulled her student in a hug as Hinata's cries rang in the air. It was the most painful sob Sakura had ever heard. Hinata kept it to herself for a long time.

"I'm sorry I could not be there when it happened, Hinata, I am very sorry," Kurenai whispered as she held the younger woman tightly, softly rocking sideways as she cradled her.

Hinata was mumbling words that were incomprehensible, but which Kurenai could understand all too well — these were questions she had once asked herself, things she had once regretted, when Asuma died. Kurenai hated that her student eventually had to go through the same.

"How did you do it?" Hinata asked. "How did you... find the strength?"

Kurenai whispered to Hinata, so softly into her ear that only the both of them could hear and no one else. "Our dreams... The dreams we had together. He would not have wanted them to die with him. He would have wanted to watch me fulfill them one by one, and the first dream we had was to let Mirai grow with love."

Hinata looked up at her.

"And you... while you only used to have one sun, he made sure to leave you with two," Kurenai smiled at her.

The younger woman looked at Himawari and Boruto, before letting out a faint laugh and shaking her head.

"And he made sure their eyes reminded me of his," Hinata said. "Can you see how, between him and I, this is so unfair to me?"

Kurenai chuckled, her face also wet with tears.

 

* * *

 

Boruto darted from his seat, running away from the crowd the moment he could no longer avoid looking at the casket. Just as he was about to step out of the platform that had been set up for the funeral, someone held him firmly on the arm.

"Let me go," Bolt said to the man standing beside him, low enough so no one else could hear.

Sasuke did not respond. They were standing side by side but facing opposite directions. Sasuke was facing toward the crowd, while Boruto was facing out. The younger man groaned.

"You don't always have to interfere, or look after me, or..." Bolt paused, his anger boiling inside him. "I can't stand it here," his voice trembled. "Please, just let me go."

Sasuke, again, did not say anything.

Bolt did not like this. He felt like he was being treated like a child. But he knew this wasn't the time to be angry.

"This is pointless and it is unbearable, I just want to grieve alone," he continued, pulling himself away from Sasuke's grip, but to no avail. "Won't you even say anything?!" he asked, when his mentor did not show any sign of letting him loose.

"There's nothing I can say because everything you said is true," Sasuke finally spoke. Bolt remained hushed and stunned at his response. "It is true I don't have to interfere, and maybe I shouldn't. It's true this whole thing is pointless and unbearable-"

"Then why won't you just let me go?" Boruto asked.

"Because I want you to know you don't have to grieve alone," Sasuke gripped Bolt's arm even tighter.

Boruto did not understand it. He couldn't think of anything that would help lessen the pain. Surely grieving alone wouldn't, but he didn't see the point of doing it with someone else either. _Why would Sasuke even insist –_

Before Bolt could ask himself the question, he could see Sasuke wince in pain. The blonde lad looked down to the arm holding him tightly. It was his mentor's only and gravely injured arm. He heard he had broken it really badly that he almost lost it too. Bolt released the tension and Sasuke relaxed.

"I'm sorry," Boruto muttered under his breath, his voice carrying unbearable regret.

"You shouldn't be," Sasuke replied. "I was the one who couldn't save your father."

Before Boruto could respond, Sasuke had already walked away.

 

* * *

 

When Shikamaru walked toward the casket, along with an Anbu, to open it, Boruto forced himself to look. _"Might as well just get it over with."_

They first cleared the flowers from its lid before carefully opening it. Bolt spared it a quick glance but that was it. He would rather see him in photos, _alive and smiling_ , than in person, dead.

From the corner of his eye he could barely see him — blonde hair, the marks on his cheek, and a dark-colored kimono he knew was a gift from his mom. Boruto could not stand it, feeling another sudden urge to leave.

He fixed his eyes on the flowers lying near his foot instead, and began slowly kicking them back and forth. The moment he heard someone start speaking, in honor of his father, he completely and intentionally tuned it all out.

He was amazed by how well he was able to focus on other trivial things, like the sound of the birds from the nearby garden, the smell of dirt mixed with the smell of flowers, the texture of his clothes against his own skin, and the occasional gentle breeze brushing against his face. Only a few words slipped through the imaginary wall he had built between him and the speaker — words like _hero, inspiration,_ and _dreams_... the dream to become Hokage, the dream to save the world, the dream to bring peace to all nations.

Bolt shut all of it out again. He knew about all of them, heard them in the academy, read them in books, heard them from his friends and his family, and eventually... he saw it with his very own eyes — the kind of savior people had always claimed his father to be.

Boruto already knew, and he did not have to know more.

 

* * *

 

When Shikamaru finished speaking, he called for Sasuke and Sakura.

There was a long silence that lingered, which was heart wrenching and uncomfortable and sad, all at the same time.

They were prepared... _sort of_. Shikamaru had, after all, informed them ahead of time. But there was something in having to walk up there — to say things they silently wished they had told him earlier, things he would never hear now — that was so difficult.

Sakura waited for Sasuke to move, his head drooping and his eyes staring blankly on the ground ahead of them. When he didn't, she went ahead.

Sakura chose to speak of the happiest things she could remember, the small but enjoyable moments she'd had with Naruto — the laughter, the horseplay, their pranks and antics, most of which were in their missions as Team Seven. These were the things most people didn't know about, that in between more serious missions and conflict, there had been mostly just fun. That in between training, they spent most of the time teasing, joking around, and playing like kids. By the middle of it, she found herself snickering a little, grinning ear-to-ear at each memory, the crowd laughing with her. But by the time she decided her turn was finished, her voice was cracking and her eyes had already become clouded with tears.

It was during this time that Sasuke decided to step forward. Sakura hastily handed him the microphone, before quickly disappearing into the crowd. Sasuke took a deep breath, avoiding all the stares — everyone's eyes were on him, _he was sure_ , wondering what he had to say about the person who desperately fought to bring him back.

He had a lot in mind, that was for sure, but those words weren't meant for the people who barely knew about the bond they had shared. They were only meant for him, and since he was no longer there to hear it, _what was the point?_

Before he could stop himself, he began to say what was really in his mind all this time.

"I just regret... and always will... _that I never thanked him enough_."

 

* * *

 

When Boruto's name was called, it didn't even register to him at first. He must have dozed off with his eyes open; he couldn't figure out how long it had been.

He was staring at Shikamaru, wondering why he had to go in front, before vaguely remembering how he had been asked to say something about his father yesterday.

Bolt remembered he did agree to do it. He sighed heavily and let his feet take him to the front without any second thought.

"I... haven't really thought about what to say," he started, knowing he had no choice but to be honest. "When I was asked to do this, I guess my mind was wandering off... I'm sorry."

His eyes accidentally landed to where his mom was sitting. He found the courage to go on.

He talked about the kind of father the Hokage had been when Boruto was still a child—the type who only scolded him with his eyes, and spoke only when the both of them were ready to listen to each other. The Hokage was the type of father who made sure little Himawari also knew how to share her toys with her older brother, the type who made sure little Boruto understood his friends at a very young age, instead of fighting with them.

He figured these were the things the people didn't know about his dad.

He didn't know how long he had been rambling, but with every memory he shared, the burden of the loss seemed to slowly dissipate. These were the memories he no longer wanted to keep only to himself. Soon, and he never it thought it was possible — the anger he had was turned into joy and hope, even if only temporarily.

 

* * *

 

When Hinata was called, she gladly stood and waved at Himawari to come with her. Hima dashed before stopping midway, picking up two yellow roses from the floor. With a smile, Hima handed one over to Hinata.

"I don't have many more to say, they've said it all," Hinata laughed a little, nodding toward Sakura and Boruto. "It was sudden, and tragic, but I always remind myself... He died doing what he had always dreamed of — he left as the Hokage protecting his people. I am sure he was... _happy_."

She paused for a while before continuing. "If there was anything I've learned this afternoon, it's this — there will be regrets, there will be anger... But they're nothing compared to the joy and hope he had left behind.

"I felt so much loss, and it hurt so much, but I'm trying my best to think about the years we'd spent together. Then the gratefulness I have easily replaces everything else," Hinata continued.

"I would like to thank each one of you for coming. I may not be able to personally express my gratitude to everyone, but all of you made a difference to how bearable this becomes for my family," Hinata said, looking to the far end of the crowd. "I am going to be honest, going here wasn't easy. I almost decided against it. But now I am thankful I came."

Hinata bowed her head once, deciding her turn to speak was over. Slowly, several people stood from their seats to approach the family and express their condolences.

 

* * *

 

When Himawari saw that no one else was looking, she pulled from her mother's grip and carefully walked over to the casket. She lifted her father's hand and squeezed it once, before placing the yellow rose she had been holding in his hand.

_Say hello to grandma, grandpa, and Uncle Neji for me. 'Til next time, Dad._

 

* * *

 

It had been an hour since the casket was lowered to the ground, and the rain had already soaked the entire area.

With everyone drenched, they already left, except for two.

Hinata and Sasuke sat silently on a bench, which stood just a few feet from where the tomb would be.

Sasuke wasn't sure from whom he'd heard it, but he somehow previously learned Hinata loved the sunset, that was why he didn't say anything until the sun had fully gone down.

"It's getting dark already," he spoke.

Hinata looked up the sky, "Yeah, I didn't really notice," she sighed. "So I guess we have to go?"

"Yeah," Sasuke answered before the both of them turned to leave.

"We go opposite ways though," Hinata pointed out. Sasuke looked at her.

"Hn, yeah," Sasuke looked at the direction to which he would be heading off. Before any of them moved, he and Hinata spoke at the same time, cutting each other's sentences off.

"Sasuke — "

"If there's anything — yes?" Sasuke paused when heard Hinata mention his name. "What is it?"

"Just... I think I need to say this," Hinata continued, her tone filled with so much hesitation. "I feel like I'm not the appropriate person for this, but I know it's something he will definitely tell you if he was here," she said, avoiding Sasuke's gaze.

"It's okay," Sasuke assured her. "Tell me."

"Never blame yourself," Hinata said. Sasuke just stared, surprised, before nodding.

"Hm," he considered what she said, not knowing how to respond. "Hinata, if there's any assistance your family needs, do not hesitate."

"Yes, thank you, Sasuke," she said, smiling, before leaving toward the direction of her home.

Sasuke, however, soon caught up with her. He motioned for her to continue when she stopped walking in surprise.

"Let me walk you home, too. It has gotten really dark already."

Hinata thanked him, and they walked together in silence.

 

* * *

**AN:** Again, really sorry for two things, (1) taking a long time to update, (2) and that this one's another flashback. I suck at sentimental scenes so I hope the people who asked for this chapter are at least satisfied with it. Please excuse my current weaknesses.

If you have constructive criticisms or comments for the main storyline, please feel free to write a review or send a PM. My current writer's block is horrible and so counter-productive.

Okay, I'll stop whining now. Thanks for reading and 'til the next! :)

* * *

_Poem credit: typewriterpoetry . wordpress . com; billimarie; sept. 17th 2011_


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_One thousand one One thousand two One thousand three.._.  
' _95 degrees southwest of the original target location, 52 kilometers down – '  
_ _One thousand six One thousand seven One thousand eight...  
_ ' _And they're still going... How can they still possibly track Kansuke when he's perfectly masking his chakra again?— '  
_ _One thousand two One thousand three One thousand four...  
_ ' _Could it be they're using their snakes?'  
_ _One thousand nine One thousand ten... One thousand one...  
_ ' _Or did they lose him already?_ _Sarada and Mitsuki, no matter what happens, please do not let him see either of you—'_

.

"Uncle Sasuke,"

His thoughts were disturbed and he came to a halt as soon as he felt a soft tug down his collar. He was quick enough to grab onto a huge tree trunk when the weight behind him threatened to push him over at the sudden change in momentum.

Boruto grunted. "I'm sorry... I said - I would not be a burden."

Sasuke shook his head.

"But I've been a big one - for the entire trip," the blonde continued. "I've been weighing you down."

Sasuke sighed heavily, "No". They both remained silent before he spoke again. "I'm actually surprised you're still enduring this."

"Barely," Boruto chuckled slightly, feeling his stomach tighten at the immense pain he was feeling for speaking,  _for breathing_. He started to close his eyes again.

"Boruto," Sasuke said sharply, stopping the younger man from falling asleep.

"Hm?"

"The real reason I brought you along with me..." Sasuke said before trailing off.

"What is it, Uncle Sasuke?" The blonde asked through pain-gritted teeth.

"It wasn't your stubbornness," Sasuke continued. "I could have easily knocked you out and brought you back to the hospital if I really wanted to."

 _Gee... I know._  Boruto raised an eyebrow, wanting to snap and tell the older man to just get on with it but not having enough energy left to do so.

"I brought you with me because I need your help," Sasuke finally said, his voice carrying so much hesitation.

It took a while before Boruto could respond. "And - you're not just -" he heaved at the pain as it started making its way up his throat, "- saying that to make me feel better?"

"No," Sasuke replied curtly. "I'm saying this so you can prepare yourself mentally and physically."

Bolt's eye squinted at what he was hearing. He was willing to help, but given a state like his, was he really the man that could help Sasuke best right now?

He'd just let his mentor down. Boruto groaned.

"Mentally, I can - although my mind feels so - drugged up," he whispered. "I overestimated myself physically - back there." The young man coughed and rested his head again on Sasuke's shoulder. "I was high."

"I understand. That's why we're stopping here for a while," Sasuke said, carefully tapping Boruto before lowering him down.

The blonde looked at him with tired eyes as he gently rested his back against a tree trunk. "You can leave me here, I can recover by myself, I promise - " he grimaced. "Can't go on - weighing you down like this and passing out."

"No, I already told you," Sasuke said, standing up to look at the trail they still had to go through. "I need your help."

"You mean it?" Bolt asked, giving him a look that told him to get real.

"I mean it," Sasuke looked at him, frowning as he saw traces of blood slowly seeping through Boruto's coat. "You're one of the really, really few people I can trust right now."

"And by few, you mean a handful?" Boruto asked.

"Yes, I can count all of you with the fingers of my only hand," Sasuke said, his voice barely audible. The younger man was now convinced Sasuke was as sincere as he could ever get.

"Is that why - you've been so quiet?"

"Hn, I can't believe my last resort is dragging you into this."

"It's fine, Uncle Sasuke - But what do I have to do?"

The Eighth Hokage suddenly drew something from under his coat way too quickly, and before Boruto could react, the older man had already injected a syringe needle up the blonde's arm.

Bolt stared at him, surprised and jaw-slack, as the pain, which crawled into every bone of his body, began to subside way faster than he wished it would.

Ignoring all the other questions etched in his student's reaction, Sasuke got up and began to walk toward the nearby clearing. "I'll show you. Follow me once you can,  _and hurry_."

* * *

There was no mistaking the immense chakra approaching his location. Slowly... but surely, it was moving.

Now that it was almost within the vicinity of the cave, the pull between him and the chakra felt very strong - almost magnetic. He could no longer deny how void he felt without it. There was a sense of both dread and relief accompanying it, no matter how contradicting it seemed. The inner turmoil it created was troubling.

He rested his head against the wall, trying his best to think. He didn't know what else to make of the situation, as it was very clear - straightforward even.

_They will seal Kurama back into me and use us both against Sasuke._

At the moment he only had one choice - he uses up all of the strength he'd just regained to gather as much nature energy as he could.

Naruto sighed in relief. The information he'd learned was worth all the energy it cost -  _Sasuke was already on the move_.

The fact that Kurama did not seem to be resisting, nor did he indicate any sign of communicating with Naruto, greatly unnerved him.

Then suddenly the earth beneath Naruto trembled, as if a sleeping giant had been woken out of its slumber.

' _Kurama!'_

Slowly stepping in were several masked figures - Naruto guessed there were about nine. Their stance weren't as steady as it had always seemed - some of them were already fighting battles inside of them. The tallest with the cat mask motioned for the others to stop, as soon as four of them pulled a crate that wheeled in a huge chest.

He almost stumbled toward the direction of Naruto.

"The power of the Senju can never be overestimated," Naruto said trying to sound rather casual and unbothered. "That wooden crate could contain the tailed beast really well. No need to be scared."

The tallest figure attempted to straighten up at the Hokage's sarcastic remark. If it weren't for the mask, Naruto would bet he'd be staring at him with a look that could kill.

"Cat," one of the four pulling the crate yelled toward their direction. "Do not let him affect you. He's still under our control," he said, but even his own voice betrayed the confidence he was trying to project.

Naruto maintained an unfazed expression as his body relaxed, his eyes avoiding the crate sitting just a few yards away from him.

' _Kurama... I know it's you. Do you even recognize my voice?'_

Nothing. Of course the beast isn't in you, idiot. Naruto mentally kicked himself.

Just as he was about to give up hope at trying to communicate with the beast, he heard a low but trembling grunt.

' _ **Another bunch of pathetic human beings who think they're any better, aren't they, Naruto?'**_

The Seventh Hokage held his breath, before exhaling deeply in relief.

' _ **There just has to be some crazies for every generation, or the world will be too boring.'**_

He looked around. The Anbu couldn't seem to have heard anything. Naruto smiled to himself.

' _I don't want to judge them too quickly, Kurama. After all, they're still from my village.'_

The beast groaned.  **'** _ **Still the same you. Gimme a break, Naruto. Look at you**_ **.'**

Naruto looked at the chains binding him, sighing in response. ' _Why aren't you resisting?'_  He asked. Given that he couldn't move right now, it would be so much help if Kurama could offer some resistance.

' _ **I have reasons, Kit. Besides, I'm hurting all over. Not worth it. I'll let him handle this.'**_

Naruto listened intently but Kurama had paused. ' _Him? Let who handle what? Kansuke?'_

' _ **Hm? Uh, no. Not that brat. The other brat. Let him deliver to these traitors exactly what they deserve. You'll be too kind to them; he'll be ruthless.'**_

' _Who?'_

' _ **Uchiha.'**_

Naruto slumped back at the wall behind him, exhaling in sheer disappointment of himself. He couldn't just let Sasuke deal with this singlehandedly. He had to think of something.

The Anbu then assembled around the crate at the same time, almost at a cue, as they began to murmur among themselves, while the reanimated Hokage seemed like he couldn't care less. They all interpreted it as acceptance of his current helplessness— _they've never been so wrong_.

The moment they released the chains around the crate, a bright flash of red fiery chakra flashed, with sudden warmth bubbling itself out of the crate and occupying the entire cave. Naruto just squinted while the Anbu backed off; only one remained near the crate, the tallest... holding a scroll for the sealing jutsu.

In spite of the overwhelming presence of chakra in the area, they all noted one thing. They didn't feel any resistance.

Naruto looked at them. "What are you waiting for? Do what you have to do. As I assess what the real situation is, I will be honest and tell you what I think," Naruto said calmly. "It upsets me, however, that your leader has chosen to keep me entirely under his control. Not very collaborative as a leader, is he?"

"There's no reason for us to believe you'll even consider bringing justice by killing your friend, even if it means well for the entire village," the one holding the scroll retorted.

"Kill him? I'm sure if he has done something entirely unforgivable, the council would have already done something instead of letting Root act on its own," Naruto snapped.

"You seem to have forgotten that you're the only one who could match his strength," the Anbu replied.

Naruto only smirked at this, and drew a deep breath as the nine-tails' chakra began to seep into his skin. The Anbu didn't seem to have noticed it yet, but Kurama was already willingly sealing itself into him.

 _Painful_ , yes. But it was the kind of pain Naruto had gotten so used to that he kind of missed it, and now it made him feel so alive again. The chakra tickled his veins and his lungs began to burn.  _Damn it_.

Kurama started to laugh.

If there was anything the scroll was doing to help in the sealing, Naruto couldn't tell, but the Anbu looked pleased, possibly convinced that the success of it was theirs.

It didn't take long, and before Naruto could even realize it, the voice of the beast was already radiating from within him.

' _ **If I were you, I wouldn't be too worried. Trust in him in this. For once, let him do his thing.'**_

Naruto found the beast sitting comfortably inside him, too comfortable even, that the beast was beginning to close its eyes as it positioned itself to take a nap.

' _Sasuke? So you're really sure he's up to something?'_

Kurama peeked at a confused Naruto, giving him a mocking smile.

' _ **Maybe… I don't know. I'm just here to find out whether the Eighth has already surpassed the Seventh by now. Will this fight again end in another draw?.. I want to know.'**_

Then the nine-tails began to take a nap.

* * *

"I can't - " Boruto was on all-fours, his forehead almost touching the ground.

"It's not that you can't, you just don't want to - "

"I CAN'T!" Boruto yelled, gasping for barely enough air. His stomach was churning and his mind was spinning.  _He couldn't do this._

"Is anything painful?" Sasuke asked, trying to lower his voice down in the hope of lessening his student's agitation.

"I AM FINE! Nothing hurts; the drug is working perfectly… In fact I can't even feel anything anymore – "

"Then why can't you do it?!" Sasuke snapped.

Boruto stared at him with disbelief splayed across his face. "You seriously don't know? What do you want me to do, pretend I am just fine with this?"

"What  _exactly_  about this aren't you fine with?" Sasuke darted toward Boruto and held his chin up so that the younger man looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Seriously?!" Boruto gritted.

"I want you to spell it out," Sasuke insisted.

"All of it! All of this, I am not fine with!" Bolt shouted, shoving Sasuke's arm off the way as he tried to walk away from him. "I don't need to spell it out."

"You're Anbu, Boruto. You know why it's important not to let your emotions get in the way – "

Bolt stopped on his track. "You know perfectly well, Uncle Sasuke, why I joined Anbu. But everyone knows there has always been a wall between them and me. Their cold-hearted doctrines, it has never reached this," Bolt pointed at his chest, "and it never will."

Sasuke remained quiet and looked up as droplets of rain began falling to his face.

Bolt also looked up. A moment of stillness lingered between them before the blonde decided to break the silence. "How many deaths still haunt you, Uncle Sasuke? Deaths that were inevitable, deaths that weren't even caused by you?" he asked, his eyes closed as the rain began pouring harder, drenching him and mixing with his sweat. The smell of dirt mixed with water filled his nostrils and the breeze pressed coldly against his wet face.

When Sasuke did not answer, he continued. "I've lost family, and you have, too. You know how it feels. I cannot risk losing… family again," Boruto bit his lip, trying to stop himself from feeling anything. The thought of what Sasuke wanted him to do was overwhelming him. It was digging up all the grief he'd long ago tried to bury.

"So you know full well what even one tiny mistake can lead to?" Sasuke asked, his eyes now focused on his own feet.

"Yes," Boruto whispered, his head now buried in his hands. "It will  _kill_  you _._ "

"Hm," Sasuked sighed.

"I cannot risk that."

Sasuke walked toward a tree and sat beneath it, resting his back against its trunk. His coat was now heavily drenched and the sky still was not relenting. He refocused himself on the younger man standing just a few feet away from him with labored breathing and shoulders shaking.

"I've made so many mistakes in my life, Bolt, and I carry with me so many regrets and things I still wish I could have changed or prevented. And the deaths still do haunt me; they go with me everywhere I go. But every time I see their faces, all they tell me is that they regret nothing, and that they will not change one bit…" Sasuke said, his voice just loud enough for Bolt to hear. "No matter how unbelievable it still is on my part, they have all asked only the same thing… that I do not blame myself."

Bolt raised his head and looked at his mentor, his eyes now swollen and red, tired and confused.

"You're the one I brought along with me because I believe you're the only one who can carry this out. If you can't, then no one else can," Sasuke said, looking back at him. "Whatever the outcome will be, I have already accepted it and I welcome it."

"If I let you down, it's all over," Boruto said.

"It won't be. You and the others will just have to figure out how to go ahead, like we always did," Sasuke said. "I am neither overestimating nor underestimating you, I know you well; you're my student. I know what you can do and what you can't do, and I know how you may succeed and how you may fail. I thought about all of it when I decided to bring you along..."

"But if I fail…"

"If you fail… you just forgive yourself," Sasuke replied. "When we arrive where we're headed, you will understand. The circumstance that lies ahead is a burden heavier than this, so I need you to prepare yourself. But when I give the cue — you have to promise me now," Sasuke looked at him and waited for a response.

It took him a moment, but he finally uttered the words his mentor wanted to hear, "I will do what I have to do."

"Even if it kills me?"

Boruto exhales in desperation. "Yes… even if it kills you."

"Thank you, Boruto. I trust you… I really do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four months, I know. I'm really sorry. Went through a really difficult time in my life for the past few months and so many things happened – depression, being ill for a while, being dumped/rejected, entering grad school, exams – and I've only started to pick myself back up from being so down in the dumps for too long. The fact I'm able to write now means I'm way past the lows.
> 
> I hope you don't hate me for the long wait. I really feel bad about it. Again, sorry. Con crit is always appreciated.
> 
> Ja ne!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

“I’m reminding you, the drug was just for the pain,” he hissed, his words competing with the sound of their footsteps and the wind angrily rushing against their direction. “It didn’t really make your condition better, although you may feel like it,” he added, trying to make his point clearer.

His statement was barely audible but he knew his student, who’d insisted on running on his own now just right behind him, could hear him. The blonde’s sudden wincing had just confirmed so.

“The only concern I have right now is I that believe you’re not going fast enough—“

“That’s because I need to scan the area well—and how can you insist on going faster when you can’t even catch up anymore? You don’t even know who we’re facing yet.” Sasuke snapped.

He could not believe Boruto was still in such a mood to argue, given his current state. The boy should be drowsy, if not sleeping.

“Of course I don’t know who the hell it is! You wouldn’t tell me! All I know is that there’s chaos back in the village right now, so we need to hurry,” Boruto grunted. “You wouldn’t tell me anything. You wouldn’t tell me where my teammates are, you wouldn’t tell me what is happening in the village, and you wouldn’t tell me where we’re heading!“ Boruto took a deep breath before continuing, yelling to make sure his mentor heard him well. “Is it because you don’t trust me now, too? Because I’m also ANBU and you’re afraid I may have become one of them—?!”

Before he could continue, Sasuke suddenly came to a halt without warning, that Boruto had to hold on a branch to stop himself from bumping into the older man. Sasuke walked right toward the younger man, and Boruto braced himself.

For a moment, the blonde thought a fist was headed his way, but Sasuke just stopped barely a foot away from him, his mentor’s gaze piercing through him.

“Did I hit a nerve there?” Boruto asked, straightening up and matching Sasuke’s gaze with his.

Sasuke let out an annoyed grunt. “If that’s a very big deal to you, then let’s settle it now. Got anything else you have a problem with?”

Boruto sighed before shaking his head in disbelief. A few seconds of silence lingered between them before Sasuke raised his voice—

“Because if that’s the ONLY reason you wouldn’t let me carry you so that you’d rather die from exhaustion and blood loss in the middle of this forest—” Sasuke paused, his face throat burning at how loud he was talking.

Boruto just rolled his eyes before biting his lip. He had so many questions to ask but deep inside he knew that the need to know the details wasn’t the real problem. His mentor knew that the questions he’d wanted to ask weren’t _the_ problem. And they both knew—they both knew what the problem was—it wasn’t there yet when they began the journey but now it was.  _How the hell should they even talk about it?_

Since Sasuke wasn’t showing any signs of bringing it up, Boruto decided to speak.

“I just want to know why...” he sighed, “Why is  _that_  a probable solution? What circumstance do we have to face that makes  _it_  a reasonable thing to do? A reasonable thing to  _risk_? Who is this...” Boruto paused, “Who is this...  _person_.... or enemy, that makes this worth  _it_?”

Sasuke considered him from a moment, before pursing his lips. Boruto observed him as he tensed up and raised a finger.

“For a moment,” Sasuke muttered. He pulled his cloak back before raising his only arm. In a split second, a hawk was perched on it and he placed a note in its beak.

As soon as it flew off with the note, Sasuke’s attention was back to Boruto. “If I tell you now, how this should all make sense, do you promise you’ll stop being stubborn and you’ll let yourself be carried?”

Boruto nodded, a bit ashamed at how childish it sounded to him.

“Okay then, I guess it’s time...” Sasuke said, his lips twitching, “... for you to exercise your patience longer,” said Sasuke. “Just make sure you don’t pass out.”

Sasuke took off again, and Boruto could only groan in disbelief.

 

* * *

  

“He’s almost here, aren’t you going to...  _escape_  before he arrives? He’s going to be so pissed.”

The ANBU was gathered by the mouth of the cave and they seemed to be exchanging only stares now, knowing that Naruto could hear everything they decide to mutter amongst themselves. They shifted their attention at the late Hokage; they knew that what he just said was true—Sasuke should be approaching by now, and if they weren’t careful enough they might even run into him when they flee.

 ** _“This reanimation jutsu... is it just me or is it imperfect, Naruto?”_** Kurama calmly asked.

_“Well, all jutsus are imperfect and have weaknesses—“_

**_“You know what I mean, Naruto. It is imperfect,”_** Kurama reiterated ** _._**

Naruto smiled to himself. _“Yeah, I’ve noticed it too. It’s not a perfect execution,—far from it, actually—but I think Kansuke and the ANBU are aware of that...”_ he sighed. _“And it still works,”_ he pointed out. _“I feel as strong as when I was... alive.”_

 ** _“Hmm, we’ll see...”_**  Kurama said as he relaxed, apparently still unconvinced.  ** _“He hasn’t taken his control over you yet, has he?”_**

 _“No, not yet, probably saving all the effort. This jutsu uses a huge amount of chakra,”_  Naruto said, now just merely stating the obvious.

 ** _“Did he really think he can pull this off?_** _”_ Kurama asked, a hint of sarcasm in its voice.

 _“Eh, give him some credit. He’s come this far,”_  Naruto replied and Kurama just shrugged. _“He knows he’s made himself clear enough. One bad move from me, or once Sasuke appears to win against me, the ANBU has the whole village under hostage._ _”_

Naruto’s form began to tense. _“When they blackmailed and attacked Boruto, using his desire to protect Himawari, it was a reminder of the power they have over Konoha, over Sasuke, and over me right now.”_ _They might not be able to destroy Konoha, but people will be harmed, and mercilessly, like what they did to my son, if the battle between Sasuke and I doesn’t go in their favor.”_

 ** _“And... the only thing they want is Sasuke’s death, handed to them by the only person who can kill him,”_** Kurama states casually, although each word felt heavy against Naruto’s ears.  ** _“It’s like they’re forcing you to pick... the village or your bestfriend._** _”_

Naruto’s eyes narrowed, trying to wrap his mind around everything. The events happened too fast, and now he had to think. _Think, think._

Before he could delve deep into his thoughts, one guard with the cat mask walked toward Naruto and placed another set of seals over the first seals that bound him.

“Slow-releasing seals... they gradually release chakra that will fully unbound you, just in time to meet your rival,” he explained, although Naruto wasn’t asking. Feeling the late Hokage’s burning stare, he quickly moved away from nine-tails vessel. He motioned toward the other ANBU and swiftly led them out of the place. Naruto could only observe them as they left.

As soon as they were out of sight, the beast started to speak to him again.

**_“Suppose you kill Sasuke because it’s your only choice—“_ **

_“I’m not going to kill Sasuke—“_

**_“Suppose you have to—I am not saying you should, I mean it is too early to say yet—but suppose you have to and you did—“_ **

_“That’s really not happening—“_

**_“Suppose you did! Just... listen to me first, Naruto,” Kurama sighed, choosing his words carefully. “It just leaves the village, though initially unharmed and safe, with just you... a reanimated you—“_ **

_“Me, a reanimated Hokage, who can’t stay to look after the village... I know, I’ll have to leave too, sooner or later,”_ Naruto replied, now realizing what Kurama was trying to say. _“I get what you’re trying to point out. If Sasuke if dies and I, being an unnatural existence, have to go too... the village will be...”_

 ** _“Left vulnerable to the ANBU, giving them a window to take over it,”_**  Kurama finished the thought for him. **_“The worst thing that can happen in this battle—if Sasuke dies, or lets himself get killed that is, is that ANBU completely wins.”_**

 _“Hm,”_ Naruto’s lips twitched in disgust. _“Like I would let that happen. You know I wouldn’t. You still think Sasuke has a plan that does not involve dying?”_

 _“ **Eh** ,”_ Kurama shook his head. _“ **How would I know?”**_

 _“What?!”_ Naruto almost jumped. _“But all this time you were keeping my hopes up!”_

 ** _“I said nothing about Sasuke having a plan,_** _”_ Kurama grumbled.  ** _“I just reminded you that you can trust him, which also means it is reasonable to keep having your hopes up if you wish. And besides...”_**

This time, Kurama smiled.

**_“... Aren’t you at least excited to see your family and friends again, Naruto?”_ **

Naruto’s jaw dropped and a feeling of warmth started to wash over him. He felt his heart flutter and a tingling feeling tickled his core. He chuckled to himself and he felt Kurama getting giddy as well. He relaxed himself against the stone wall.

 

 _“A bit... yes.”_  

Now that worry was being replaced gradually by a familiar feeling of love, Naruto couldn’t stop himself from tightening his fists in excitement.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure it’s _deep_ in here?”

Mitsuki nodded, his face covered in marks that showed he’d just gathered enough nature energy. Sarada took a deep breath.

“I need just the right distance behind him, if possible a bit above him, so that I can see what he’s doing—“

“Shh!” Mitsuki stopped and extended an arm to block Sarada from going any further down. He lifts a finger to point at an crouched figure kneeling just several feet deeper into the cave.

Sarada’s heart began to beat painfully in her chest, surprised at how close they already were to Kansuke. If the older man wasn’t as deep in thought as he was now, he would’ve already sensed them.

 _‘I thought you said deep?!’_ the young Uchiha kunoichi mouthed angrily toward Mitsuki.

Mitsuki just shook his head and pointed at a portion on the wall of the cave ahead of them that was dented, with just enough space to fit the both of them.

 _‘Will that do?’_ Mitsuki mouthed to Sarada, to which she just nodded nervously.

In an instant, Mitsuki grabbed Sarada and they were perched rather uncomfortably against the wall of the cave.

The view was perfect—Sarada could not have asked for anything better. But it worried her, that they were too close to Kansuke for comfort. Seemingly able to sense her concern, Mitsuki whispered to her.

“Don’t worry. We’ve got him cornered anyway,” he told her.

Sarada just looked at him anxiously. Mitsuki lowered his sleeve and let out three serpents, which crawled together quickly toward the cave’s exit without making any sound. “I can see through all of them all at the same time, so don’t worry,” he reassured her.

Knowing they didn’t have enough time, Mitsuki continued softly, “Now, remember what we’ve talked about—we can’t risk raising suspicion from other enemies. Go with Kansuke’s plan,” he said, while Sarada just restlessly nodded. “Give him a window to act and execute his plan, perfectly, until... until... _you know_ , it’s all up to you.”

Sarada’s hands began to tremble as she began to conjure a handseal.

“You need to relax, you can do this,” Mitsuki said as he rubbed her back slowly. “In ten...”

Sarada exhaled deeply and accepted she had no choice. It had to begin now. “One... two...”

 

* * *

 

“I am sorry Hinata, I wasn’t able to stop him,” Sakura said, her voice sounding very apologetic, and her eyes refusing to meet Hinata’s.

The former first lady just sighed and smiled. “It’s okay, I know how stubborn my son is,” she responded calmly. “If he really wants to do something, there’s barely anything we can do to stop him.”

 “The wound is still too fresh. Despite his amazing healing abilities and chakra, there’s no way he can last long moving around with that injury—“

“It’s okay. He’s with Sasuke, he’ll know what to do—“

“Yeah, but Sasuke’s no medic,” the pink-haired kunoichi shrugged, trying hard to recall any instance where her husband had shown any competence in caring for someone else, especially an injured one. None came to mind.

Before a wave of panic could hit her, something swooshed into the lobby with impressive speed through a nearby window and it circled around Sakura’s head twice.

“Sasuke’s!” she cried out, spotting the hawk. She raised her forearm and the bird perched on it in an instant. “This is his messy handwriting, as if he’d written it while they are moving.”

“Anything urgent?” Hinata asked.

“Actually,” Sakura said, shifting her attention to Hinata. “It says he wants us to follow them.”

“Is it because of Boruto?”

“No, I don’t think so, but he asks that you and I both come... as well as Himawari,” Sakura muttered. “… as soon as we can.”

“Even Hima... did he say why?” Hinata asked, her tone showing how Sasuke’s demand, in relation with the current situation in the village, had been worrying her.

“No, he didn’t say anything,” Sakura answered, and hesitatingly added, “But I think I know why, and I also think it is important that the both of you come with me.”

Hinata remained quiet, trying to consider everything in silence. After a moment, she turned to Sakura and nodded.

“If you think so then...” Hinata exhaled the tension that had bottled up inside her. “I guess it’s best that we do go with you. I’ll go get Himawari.”

“Thank you. I’ll inform Shikamaru and make sure that everything is in order before we go. I’ll see you at the gates then,” Sakura said.

 

Hinata smiled and waved back at her as she turned to leave the hospital.

 

* * *

  

“Four...” 

Mitsuki could feel Sarada loosening up as time went by, but he knew that her concentration didn’t falter at all. As she relaxed, he knew her focus got better.

He sat by her the closest he could, so that their shoulders were practically pushing against each other. He had to keep an eye on what was happening between her and Kansuke, as well as his three other windows of perception.

 _Three serpents_. The most he’d pulled off before this was two. _Four sets of eyes_ , including his own. _Four different realities_ happening at the same time in _four different locations_. He was hoping he wasn’t overestimate himself.

 _‘If Sarada can pull her stunt off, there’s no way I can’t successfully pull my own stunt off too_ ,’ he told himself. ‘ _And if I fail, Sarada fails too._

_Damn it.’_

 

* * *

 

Sasuke was starting to slow down and Boruto knew it wasn’t because of him. He’d been catching up well, and his mentor seemed so... lost in his own thoughts.

 _‘About what?’_ Boruto wondered.

As he leaped from one branch to another, he felt something wrap around his ankle. He glanced toward it.

A split-second distraction almost sent Boruto crashing down the branches and toward the forest floor, if it weren’t for Sasuke pulling his cape just in time to catch him. He sighed in relief. The drugs must have really dulled both Boruto’s senses and reflexes.

“What happened?” Sasuke asked, as Boruto leaned against a tree.

The young man reached for the end of his trousers and pulled it up. Before he could freak out at the sight of a small snake wrapped around his leg and yank it off, Sasuke grabbed his arm.

“Wait—” Sasuke called and leaned down to look at it. “Hn, look at it first, then confirm.”

Boruto decided against protesting as he looked at Sasuke with widened eyes. He crouched lower to look at the snake before groaning.

“Mitsuki’s?!” the blonde asked. “Are they nearby?!”

Sasuke just shrugged. “Just let it stay there,” he said, before taking off once again.

“The bastard! That could’ve given me more injuries to deal with,” Boruto muttered to himself angrily, as he envisioned the many ways he could get back to Mitsuki as soon as this mayhem was over.

 

* * *

 

**_“Are you ready, Kit?”_ **

Naruto took a deep breath as he took another step toward the mouth of the cave.

 _“Yeah, it’s about time,”_ he said, half-smiling and half-worried. _“You?”_

**_“Heh, I’m way more ready than you, Naruto, a lengthy slumber always sends me over the edge to devour whatever and whoever—“_ **

_“Hey! No devouring anything! That’s my son and my friend,”_ Naruto protested.

Kurama laughed. **_“Just kidding.”_**

Naruto looked down to see something crawling behind a boulder just a few feet away from him. He took several steps closer and came face-to-face with a brightly colored serpent slithering towards him.

 ** _“Hmm, seems odd,”_** Kurama muttered inside him. **_“It’s staring directly at you, Naruto—”_**

 _“Like it wants a ride,”_ Naruto smiled. _“I think I know whose it is. C’mon,”_ he bended down and picked the snake up carefully. “Will this spot here be okay?” he asked, tugging the snake beneath his collar, and not really expecting an answer.

When Naruto didn’t sense any movement of protest from the elusive creature, he began his journey into the forest.

 

* * *

 

“So here’s where you’ve been _chilling_ , brother?”

“Here’s where I’ve been _observing_ , Kankuro,” the red-haired Kazekage accentuated.

“Of course, I know that, sheesh,” the older brother retorted.

They were standing on top of the Hokage tower, where they could see several of the Konoha police force assembled below.

There had only been one incident involving the ANBU since this morning, targeting Naruto’s daughter once, then other than the group eavesdropping in the elders’ meeting, the elite group had been silent.

Gaara thought he saw one or two shadows of the ANBU lurking, but even he wasn’t sure. Either his mind was making it up or they were that elusive; he concluded it was the former.

“I guess the police force is doing a great job, given how quiet it had been,” Kankuro commented.

“Hm, but their silence is not really comforting,” Gaara added.

Kankuro was looking behind Gaara suspiciously for a moment, before the younger man noticed this and his eyes narrowed. Kankuro knew there was no point hiding his concern.

“Playing with pets now, are we?” Kankuro asked.

Gaara turned and casually petted something that was coiled around the railings of the roof of tower.

“I don’t think he’s here to play,” he suggested, as he placed a finger below it to raise the snake’s head. “I think he’s here to watch.”

Kankuro raised an eyebrow and moved closer to where the snake was. “You sure it’s not the enemy’s?” he asked.

“Yes, it approached me and asked for my permission first.” Gaara then refused to say anything further.

 

* * *

 

“... Six.”

“All three have reached their destinations.”

Sarada looked at him. “That was quick,” she noted.

Mitsuki flashed a wide and proud smile, “I try my best.”

“ _Seven_ ,” Sarada smiled back at him. “I hope I do well too, do you think I’m getting there?”

The bright-eyed man looked from Sarada toward Kansuke. “There’s only one way to find out.” He took a few steps toward the edge of the wall and rested a hand on Sarada’s shoulder. “Do it.”

Sarada stared at him with a look that was nothing short of doubtful. But she knew he was right in saying there was only one way to find out. _Better screw up now than later._

“Kansuke!” she called out, her voice echoing loudly as it bounced off the walls of the cave.

Although it took him a split-second longer than they were expecting, Kansuke soon straightened up and turned. But as soon as his gaze fell straight toward where Sarada and Mitsuki were, and their eyes met his, he turned back around and resumed what he was doing as if he’d seen nothing.

Sarada looked at her partner, with a sense of relief untying the knot of dread coiled around her chest. Mitsuki was already beaming at her.

 

* * *

 

Without warning, Sasuke jumped off toward a huge clearing with speed that Boruto could never match even with perfect health.

 "Show yourself!” Sasuke yelled at the top of his lungs.

Without seeing his mentor, Boruto knew that with that tone of his, Sasuke was fuming.

Boruto wasn’t feeling any pain, but he was starting to feel faint as he went down the clearing. He scrambled to sit behind a row of low-lying trees, trying to catch his breath. He knew he’d have to throw up really soon, despite not having anything in him to throw up.

 _‘Of all times to feel extremely sick_ , _it happens now?_ ’ 

Boruto concluded it was because they were finally here, and that they were done running. His body could now concentrate on all its problems.

 _‘Not now. Shit, I feel so ill,’_ he thought, as he stabilized himself with both hands pressed firmly in front of him toward the ground.

 

“You idiot!” he heard Sasuke yell, and a loud commotion told Boruto that whoever their enemy was, he was already here.

But Boruto’s vision was blurry and the world was spinning around him—first slowly, then rapidly. He held his breath. He couldn’t see.

The blurry form of his mentor reached down, and Boruto heard him throw something... _a rock?_

The enemy might have dodged, because he heard the rock hit the ground. The black blurry form of Sasuke aimed a punch, but a flash of... _orange?_... successfully blocked it.

 

_What was Sasuke doing? Why wasn’t he using any of his jutsus? His rinnegan, his sharingan, or his katana, at least? Why was he doing no more than a fistfight?_

 

Boruto reached for the tree trunk near him to steady himself and he shut his eyes for a while.—to stop the world from spinning, to stop his insides from threatening to climb up his throat— 

“Sasuke, stop it!” someone yelled, with a voice that sounded like...

 

Like... _no_.

 

Boruto felt his heart drop. _That voice... no._ No, he knew that voice. Of course, _it couldn’t be—_

“Sasuke! Bastard, it hasn’t started yet!”

 _There it fucking was again._ Boruto’s body started to tremble against his will, his eyes still tightly shut as he remained crouched behind those trees.

 _Fuck this._ Whatever this drug was, it was playing with him really badly, with his mind, with his... heart. It felt heavy, ready to burst. If he continued to hallucinate, the tears wouldn’t stop falling, this was too much—

“Countered the Rinne Tensei?! You really had time for that, _Naruto_?! Why?!”

Boruto heard Sasuke ask, and an involuntary sob narrowly escaped his lips. _Stop playing with my mind, please_ —

“That’s what you’re angry about, Sasuke?” the voice asked again, this time way clearer than it did previously.

It felt like being drenched in icy cold water, and Boruto didn’t want to keep his eyes shut any longer. He struggled to stand up and see for himself, for a moment wishing it was real and not just a hallucination—

“How should I have felt about that, then? Tell me, _Naruto_ , what? Happy?!”

Then as the view shifted and came to focus, the ground balancing itself and the world refusing from spinning any longer, there it was—

 

_Clothed in orange, a man whose hair was as blonde as Boruto’s, and his hand firmly holding Sasuke’s only arm in defense. Where there had once been brightly colored blue irises, were now dull black orbs._

_But everything else was the same—his clothes, his hair, his face, his stance, his voice—_

_The man who’d always appeared blurrily in both his dreams and his nightmares, whom he thought he’d never see again, was standing right in front of them._

A pang of pain shot through his chest and up his head. He reached out against a tree and steadied himself by leaning back on it. His tears flowed freely and he was shaking.

_Is it really... him? Is it really dad? Is he really back? But... how?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yeah I do feel bad about having to cut it there. But I had to so I can change POVs for the longer portion.
> 
> For those confused about Rinne Tensei, which Sasuke mentioned to Naruto, it's the technique used by Nagato to revive those killed in Konoha way back the Pain arc. Since Sasuke has the Rinnegan, he can also do this, and in this fic (around chapter 10 I think?) when Naruto died, Sasuke attempted to use it to revive Naruto and exchange his life for that, but he couldn't because Naruto anticipated it and already found a way to counter that (by getting a marrow transplant from Kakashi... read the chapter again if it's confusing xD)
> 
> Sorry for taking so long to update. But we’re at the heart of the story so I hope that makes up for it.
> 
> Thank you for all the feedback, reviews, and the PMs! So much appreciated! You have no idea how happy they make me.
> 
> There are some clarifications though—the Edo Tensei used here will not be exactly the same as in Shippuden, given I don’t intend the antagonists to be anywhere as skillful as Orochimaru or Kabuto. I had Kurama pointing that out earlier in this chapter. I just want to emphasize it more because it had always been my intention to make it imperfect from the start. It will be explained further in the next chapters.
> 
> Also, IMPORTANT, I started this fic last year, 2016, which means there was no Boruto anime yet and the manga had barely anything going. So character skills and plot wise, this fic is not very consistent with the anime because almost 75-85% of the chapters so far had been written before the anime even started, and for future chapters I can’t really make it 100% consistent with the anime anymore (e.g. Boruto’s jougan in the anime vs early mention of his byakugan in this fic). I will still try but I can’t promise much because I have no idea where the anime is heading now (I’ve only watched until ep 25 of the anime too).
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading! I hope you don’t abandon this fic because there’s no way I’m abandoning this either, lol. Til next time!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

He knew he should of given himself more time to think before acting hastily. He had acted impulsively, way too impulsively. But _hell_ , he had always been impulsive. _Can't change that now, can he?_

Now his thoughts could not quite keep up; his attacker was just too quick. He had however, two arms while his attacker only had one. Naruto snickered to himself. Nevertheless, with the determination his opponent was showing, he knew a split-second distraction would send him crashing to the ground.

"Damn it, Sasuke," he groaned right after he had barely blocked yet another of the dark-haired man's several attempts at aiming on his face. "Let me speak first!"

"You can speak now," Sasuke muttered between gritted teeth, his face so hot he could almost feel his ears burning.

Naruto just hissed in disbelief at the sarcasm.

Standing just several feet away from them was another chakra signature which he recognized immediately. He wondered how much this mischievous little boy had grown now. _If only he could reach out…_

Naruto's side suddenly hit a huge boulder as he was thrown back forcefully. The split-second distraction did send him crashing to the ground. It took him a few seconds to realize where the blow made contact — the throbbing first started from the left side of his jaw, but soon enough the whole side of his face was numb. _I was lucky_ , he thought. Sasuke hit him with just a playful blow.

He looked at his rival who was already straightening himself. Where Naruto had expected to see either rage or an absence of emotion, he saw the look of remorse and sadness within Sasuke's eyes, which refuse to meet his. However, this did not last long. The expression on his face seemed to light up as he fixed the creases of his dark cloak.

"Finally, I got that out. I never thought that moment would come," Sasuke confidently uttered, inhaling deeply with a small but noticeable smile on his face. "Welcome back, dead last," he said, stretching out his only arm toward his blonde friend.

Overcome with feelings of familiarity that could be traced back to his genin days, Naruto grinned as he reached for his teammate's hand.

 

* * *

 

Traveling alongside two people who possessed the Byakugan made Sakura feel safe.

Behind them, Hinata constantly checked their surroundings and kept an eye out on anyone who would possibly follow them. So far there had been none, but she wasn't going to let her guard down.

Sakura was thankful Hinata was not the type of person inclined to ask questions. The young girl behind her though, was an entirely different story.

Himawari, with her purple hair flowing gracefully over her shoulders, followed Sakura closely. Sakura hardly looked behind her, but she knew the girl was glancing at her every now and then with curious eyes. She was sure that if she looked back, she would be met with pleading eyes, asking for answers, or at least a reassurance about the young girl's brother. Sakura kept her eyes on the track. She could not guarantee them anything, so she had better remain quiet and unsuspecting... at least for now.

"Six miles, two on our right," Hinata suddenly remarked.

Sakura immediately knew what she meant. Hinata just sensed two shinobis near their path.

"Moving?" Sakura asked.

"No," Hinata replied.

Sakura sighed in relief. "Best ignore them now, unless they follow," she said, knowing that getting involved in a fight would just be an utter waste of time and energy. Hinata silently agreed.

It proved to be the right decision after all since, after a few miles, they were positive neither of the two spotted ninjas followed them. Sakura was only about to relax when Himawari began speaking softly.

"Auntie Sakura," she called, her voice heavily drowned by the sound of the wind above them. "I understand why it may not be appropriate for you to disclose any information about this trip yet..." she said, her voice somehow trailing off before she paused.

Himawari took her time, and it seemed to Sakura as if she was still trying to reconsider what she had to say. Finally, Himawari decided to continue. "So you don't have to say anything about it, but I've been having this urge to let you know... what I've been feeling about this, about the message Uncle Sasuke sent you."

This caught Sakura slightly off guard, but chose to not show it. Whether Hinata was surprised as well or not, she did not show it either.

Himawari had always been _instinctive_ , as Sakura would put it. No one, not even Hinata, thought of this as similar to any sensory-type jutsu. It wasn't exactly a 'skill'—Himawari couldn't voluntarily choose to do it, and often times she was also unaware of it. In addition, it rarely happened, but when it did it did so in very peculiar ways.

Sakura could not forget how it had been Himawari who first found her father on that dreaded night, despite the expertise of more experienced shinobi including Sasuke. The girl said she simply ran where her feet took her, somehow certain she would be the one to find him.

Himawari also once reported feeling ill, skipping her classes in the academy despite absence of physical manifestations upon examination, right on the day Bolt and his team got ambushed as Anbu.

And just last night, while Boruto was being attacked in their home, she was wrestling against a nightmare about her father.

A realization then hit Sakura, one which set a disturbing sensation up her spine. Of all of these events, she could think of none that was pleasant; to call them misfortunes was an understatement.

_What if these weren't simple instincts, but forebodings that had been gifted to her?_

Sakura forcibly shut her thoughts out. Now was not the time to speculate; she had to remain logical.

"Hima," she called out, after noticing the girl had fallen silent. "You can tell us about it."

"Hmm," Himawari reconsidered. "Well there's this--" she paused before sighing, "--overwhelming feeling of warmth, like the feeling of home. My thoughts are partly clouded because I have no idea what is going on but, it feels nice and calm, like when the clouds are moving slowly and smoothly... peaceful, somehow."

 _Appropriate_ , Sakura thought.

"But that's not all of it, though. Why do I feel so bad? Would you know?" Himawari asked. "It's not like feeling ill. It's different. I didn't really notice it first, but it's there, deep and crushing; it feels so _dreadful_."

Sakura was silent for a while because she honestly did not know how she would respond. It was Hinata who reacted first.

"When was the last time you felt like this, Hima? Have you ever felt this way before?" Hinata asked. If her daughter had made her worried, Sakura thought, she still didn't show it.

It was a wise question, to ask about what made the girl feel bad, because Himawari had always been a cheerful girl. While Boruto inherited his father's energy and boisterousness, Hima inherited his bright and pleasant aura.

"Once, from a long time ago," the girl answered. "I remember it well enough. My friends and I were climbing trees... then there was this tree, swarming with flies. It was very unusual of course and we didn't know back then, so we looked. There was no mistaking it---it was the first time I saw death...

"Death? What was it?" Sakura asked.

"A raven died."

* * *

 

Despite the well-meaning, softly implied suggestions that it would be better to take the offensive side rather than wait for trouble to happen, Kakashi decided against it. There could be a good reason why Sasuke solely emphasized maintaining order and nothing else beyond that. Not to mention, anyone with adequate common sense would know that acting rashly without seeing the bigger picture was not just unwise, it was both foolish and unacceptable. He knew there was something else happening which Sasuke had not let anyone, not even him or Shikamaru. Except maybe Sakura, and the rest of Naruto's family, whom he'd heard just left the village in a rush.

During Naruto's time as Hokage, he had been very open to Kakashi. _Too open_ , in fact, that Kakashi did not feel as retired as he should have been. He sighed. The knucklehead just had to die; the first one in Team Seven to go, just after he had reached his dream. It definitely was not Naruto's time yet. That night, it shouldn't have been him. Kakashi knew whom it should have been---someone retired, without a family, compared to Naruto and Sasuke definitely less capable of protecting the village further---yep, there was no doubt about it.

At the back of his mind, however, Kakashi was sure Naruto would not have doubted his decision, he would not have hesitated. His youngest student would have willingly died for the village over and over if that was possible. There was no question about that.

While Naruto was open to most people, Sasuke had been secretive. Sure, he did share important information to Shikamaru and the village elders and kept them well-updated, but beyond that nothing else was shared. This trait seemed to have been embedded in his character from way back his childhood, and Kakashi couldn't really blame him. Anyone who knew about Sasuke's past would understand why.

Kakashi was growing old. Well, not too old, since Tsunade was still alive. But just like the Fifth, his appearance betrayed him every now and then, making people assume he was still at his prime when he really wasn't. There was a reason he already retired a long time ago. Now that Sasuke had left, he would be the acting Hokage again once twenty four hours was up--it made him feel like a granddad being asked to look after his son's children, though he would never really know how that should feel like, would he?

_Better make sure no one causes havoc then._

Kakashi dashed toward an alleyway, where he had spotted a shadow pass by way too swiftly. Though the streets were bustling with life, there was no reason for anyone, not even a ninja, to pass by that fast.

So as not to startle the Anbu and end up causing a fight, Kakashi halted just around the corner, bringing out an old Icha Icha book. He then proceeded by walking casually. As expected, the Anbu froze on the spot, in an attempt to look unsuspecting.

 _Futile_ , Kakashi remarked to himself, as he looked up from his book and stared directly toward the fully-clad man.

The Copy Ninja made sure his eyes connected with the Anbu's beneath that mask. He was positive neither of them would be compelled to attack the other soon. But maybe a little reminder of his presence through some childish, but effective, intimidation would keep these traitors well-behaved, at least for a while.

Kakashi was determined on pulling off this very same stunt numerous times, no matter how tedious it was, if it meant giving Konoha's hard-headed citizens a silent reminder that he would, under no circumstance, tolerate any rebellious act done under his supervision.

* * *

 

"It wouldn't be appropriate to out rightly assume that you've come alone would it, Sasuke?" Naruto asked rather loudly, although the person he was talking to was standing right in front of him.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "No," he answered bluntly, before adding, "but we could continue pretending there's no one else here with us if the person, assuming there is one, wishes to carry on being non-existent."

If Boruto did not have training as Anbu spy, he would have easily missed the sly hint of mock in his mentor's tone.

The poor boy did not know how to feel. Right then and there, he could easily convince himself that none of it was real. Everything was outright ridiculous, whilst yesterday had been an ordinary day.

But the wetness and warmth of his own blood soaking his chest was too real. The fiery pang that shot from his wound every now and then — _shooting and dissipating, shooting and then dissipating again completely_ — was also too real. The soreness of his throat, the stinging of his eyes, and the burning of his lungs every time he inhaled... they were all too intense--too intense for a dream, too intense for a nightmare.  Although, maybe... this could also be Sasuke's--

"Genjutsu!" Boruto yelled, without thinking, without second thought he began shouting, his voice resounding in a powerful echo. "If this is one of your genjutsus, Uncle Sasuke, I swear I'll--"

"Boruto... Can I see you?" Naruto called out, as he could not wait any longer.

Just by the sound of his voice, he knew his son was in pain. He wanted so badly to reach out, but he couldn't; he didn't know if it was the right thing to do, or if the boy was even prepared to see him. Mentally he began preparing himself for the possibility that his son _just wasn't ready_.

After only a few seconds though the boy had begun stepping forward--a tall, slender man, with a cloak like Sasuke's billowing behind him. With one arm pressed firmly across his stomach, he was limping. His hair had grown longer; it looked similar to how Naruto's used to be as a teenager. It was only then that he noticed--his son resembled him so much, so much that it felt like he was looking at his past self.

Boruto looked up, staring directly at Naruto. Regret churned angrily at the older man's gut--he would give everything to turn back time and watch how this young man had grown the past few years. It was too late now.

"I won't recommend going near him now, Boruto--" Sasuke tried to warn him, but it was useless.

Before Naruto could react, Boruto had already dashed straight toward him. The two men collided, and as soon as they had touched the younger blonde buried his head against Naruto's chest. His arms wrapped tightly around him, giving the older man the feeling that his son was slowly crushing him to death.

"What took you so long to come back, _old man_?" Boruto asked, his voice too muffled beneath Naruto's cloak.

A warm feeling took over Naruto as he embraced his son's trembling figure. He lowered his head to rest on Boruto's shoulder, and began to whisper countless apologies---apologies that were incapable of changing the past, but which he hoped would express that if there was any way he could've done differently, he would have.

Naruto grew up without a father or a mother. Though they died in circumstances almost similar to his death, it happened before a deep parental bond formed between them. Although Naruto knew what it was like to grow up without them, he did not know how it was like to lose them. What his children went through after his death, he would never know. Maybe it felt something similar to losing the Third or Jiraiya. Still, he knew there was no way to judge if it was even comparable.

"There had been... so many, so many things that I wanted you to see me do, Dad--" Boruto said, struggling with every breath to say each word. "--passing the chunin exams... without cheating the second time of course--" Boruto and Naruto both chuckled at this, "--ranking jonin, joining Anbu--"

"In just a span of two years?" Naruto asked, looking up at Sasuke, who just nodded at him.

"--then there's Himawari having a boyfriend--"

"WHAT?!"

So with that came the biggest shock of his life, with both Sasuke and Boruto failing miserably at hiding their giggles like ladies, refusing to confirm whether this was true or not. But his son did not pull away, his tears now soaking Naruto's collar.

There was something else besides the tears that soaked Naruto's clothes now too--something thicker, warmer. Naruto gently pulled away to look at his son's torso. Boruto's clothing was oozing dark red--

"I stained you, I'm sorry--" the young man choked, bringing one arm against his wound and the other against his face to wipe his tears. "It's fine, old man, I can handle a wound like this now," he said, when his father tried to place his hand against the bandage.

Naruto cast a worried look toward Sasuke.

"The pain is being heavily masked by a drug, that's why he can still walk around, but the bleeding--" Sasuke said, watching Naruto kneel suddenly before Boruto.

With haste, Naruto took off his own cloak, folded it several times to make a thick strip of cloth, and placed it around Boruto's waist.

Boruto tried to stop him. "No, not that, I can use my cloak instead, yours is white--"

"Exactly," Naruto insisted. "It's white, we can see the stain well. We need to monitor that bleeding, Bolt." The younger man looked as if he was still going to protest further, but in the end he just nodded, as Naruto knotted the cloth against Boruto's hip.

As soon as Naruto had straightened up, he stiffened, which Sasuke noticed immediately.

"Naruto, what is it?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto confirmed what they had been dreading, "It's starting."

A weighted sensation slowly grabbed him from his feet and his ankles, and was gradually making its way up his body.

"Kansuke--he's starting to... now?" Sasuke asked him further, as he approached Boruto and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes," Naruto responded, his eyes now fixed on Boruto. "Bolt, you need to step back now. I'm sorry..."

Boruto did as he was told; he stepped back, slowly, but maintaining a stance that allowed him to keep guard of anything that might happen next.

"What exactly is _he_ trying to make you do?" Boruto asked, but Naruto seemed to have no intention to answer his question, when after a few seconds he still kept his mouth shut.

Behind him, Boruto felt Sasuke pulling him farther away. Once out of Naruto's earshot, his mentor whispered to him, "Remember what I told you? Everything depends on it now."

Boruto only nodded; after all, he had no choice but to follow.

* * *

 

When Sasuke placed his hand on Boruto's shoulder, something took advantage of this opportunity to slip under his sleeve. Hiding, for a small serpent, was very convenient behind Sasuke's ear because of his thick, dark hair.

"Glad you finally realized this was a better idea," he muttered, addressing the snake behind his ear.

The tiny but sleek animal hissed something to him, which he surprisingly understood, thanks to being Orochimaru's underling for quite a while.

"She needs to take over completely only when I give the signal," he said, pausing, as he placed a firm grip around his katana. "The signal... is the one I will give Boruto, and once you see it, she needs to do it. Quick."

* * *

 

"Mitsuki," Sarada called out, her eyes focused on the hands of Kansuke which were now moving across a mapped-out sheet with seemingly calculated precision. "Mitsuki!"

"Sorry," the bright-eyed young man snapped upright. "I was collecting necessary information..."

"Necessary information from who?"

"From the Eighth --- "

"Look!" she said, pointing at Kansuke, before Mitsuki could continue.

"He's starting to take over now, isn't he?" he asked, his eyes following Kansuke's movements with utter amazement.

Sarada nodded.

* * *

 

Boruto successfully dodged each of the aggressive tails that had sprung from his dad's rigid form, with Naruto's yelling somewhat helping since the number of trees that blocked his view was proving to be a huge disadvantage to him.

Using the Byakugan was out of the question---to do as he was meant to implied he had to put off using it now.

Swiftly, Sasuke slipped behind Naruto, right on his blind spot. He had not told Boruto what he was about to pull off--he did not even know if his student ever knew that he was capable of doing this. So when he remained unmoving behind Naruto, Boruto was clueless. He had no idea what was happening.

 ** _"Long time no see, Uchiha brat,"_** the nine-tailed beast growled at the man standing right in front of him, a menacing smile playing across its face.

"Good to see you too, Kurama," Sasuke calmly replied.

**_"Friend or not, you know I still hate that sharingan--"_ **

"I know. You _loathe_ it," Sasuke emphasized. "But with enough reasons to. I do not blame you," he said, and Kurama just snickered. "Up to what extent can this Kansuke control you?"

 ** _"Hmm, not in here, he can't,"_** Kurama simply stated. **_"But since he can control Naruto's movements from the outside, he has full access to his abilities that involve me. Nothing I can do about that."_**

"The initial weaknesses then we're compensating for is the amount of control he was aiming at," Sasuke said, his fingers digging at his own palm as he tightened his fists. "You can't cut off your chakra? Keep it from being used in Naruto's techniques?"

 ** _"No. Just like the original technique, chakra doesn't matter to the reanimated person. Anything he was able to perform while he was still alive, every technique, is available, without cost to the reanimated, as long as the caster can summon it,"_** Kurama explained. **_"You know this, Sasuke."_**

"Yes, of course," Sasuke sighed, "But it had been a while, a really long while."

 ** _"I am assuming you have a plan — you've brought a really injured child,"_** Kurama grunted.

"Boruto is no longer a child—"

**_"He is Naruto's child—"_ **

"And my student too!" Sasuke firmly interjected. "We both know what we can do, that's why we are here--"

"Sasuke..." Naruto called out.

The Eighth Hokage turned to see his rival standing behind him.

"How is Boruto faring out there?" Sasuke asked him. They were still inside Naruto's subconscious, where Kurama's cage used to be.

"Bolt has been counteracting all techniques well, it makes me proud..." Naruto said, almost in a very dreamy way that you'd think he was reminiscing. He snapped out of it immediately. "But he isn't attacking me."

"Of course he won't attack you; he can't. With that wound—" Sasuke warned. "Any attempt at using ninjutsu can kill him."

"Does he know that?!" Naruto asked, "What's your plan, Sasuke? We trust you--"

" _Trust me?_ Do you, really?!" Sasuke asked roughly in a confronting tone he had not used toward Naruto in a long time.

Sasuke could not explain the sudden tensed feeling that originated from his fists and traveled across his shoulders and up his face, so that his jaws clenched. He was aware of the very thing that constantly bothered him the past two years, the very thing that threatened to eat him up, way stronger than guilt, from the inside out. It was this very question that harassed his mind from that night until this very moment.

Before Naruto could answer, Sasuke had already left his subconscious, leaving him with just few words about where Naruto might have gone wrong before---

 

_"Because the very last time we saw each other, you didn't."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a beta reader now! :) A beautiful soul named Grace (RedHoodsWife, ff.net) volunteered, helped me a lot with this chapter, and gave me feedback really quick right on New Year’s Eve (in my timezone, at least). HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
> 
> This chapter was interesting for me to write because a lot of elements in it weren't preconceived. A lot of them I just came up with while I was already writing the chapter and they weren't part of the original plan (which makes me kind of nervous for the next chapters xD). I am happy with it though. It had taken me more than a week to write this short chapter.
> 
> I imagine not a lot of people will like how I've been writing Sasuke's character lately. But to me he will always have this kind of unpredictability because of how intensely he tries to conceal his emotions. My interpretation may be wrong.
> 
> Expect a longer gap before the next chapters because that's where it all gets crucial.
> 
> Also, this fic is officially a year old! I hope we get to the end soon :)) Thanks for reading and feedback is always, always appreciated, whether good or bad or random. Til the next!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Mitsuki kept both hands gently resting on Sarada's shoulder while watching Kansuke from behind her, to let her know she was doing fine, to let her know she was doing an excellent job.

"Mitsuki," Sarada muttered, her voice barely hissing.

"Yes?" Mitsuki asked, "You're doing great."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her vision now faltering at the length of time she had her eyes locked onto Kansuke. "But when do I stop him? For how long will I let him go on?"

Mitsuki kept silent for a few seconds, before responding. "Once he tells me," he said.

"Tells you? Who gets to tell you?"

Sarada had to trust her partner now. With her genjutsu, she could only see through Kansuke's perspective, and she should not, in any circumstance, break this connection. If she did, they would all fail. She watched helplessly through Kansuke's vision as he began to control Naruto, as he began to chase a badly injured Boruto around, and as her father did everything he could to defend himself and his student.

"The Eighth," Mitsuki said.

Sarada almost breathed a sigh of relief. "Papa? You're talking to him?"

Mitsuki only gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "Just continue, Sarada. Trust me with this, alright?"

Before Sarada could protest, Kansuke seemed to stop with what he was doing, as if Sarada had momentarily lost her grip on Kansuke's carefully controlled consciousness. Without any choice left, the youngest Uchiha decided to trust her bright-eyed teammate despite having no idea what was going on.

* * *

Sasuke's concern grew when he saw Boruto's state. The young man just halted beside Sasuke and was panting really hard. It was impressive how he was still standing. Kansuke only used Naruto's shadow clones against Boruto, maybe just to strain him a bit. Even Sasuke could feel that Kansuke was careful about what he did to Boruto now - either pondering about how to use him to his advantage, or probably just wary of how to proceed further.

He felt Naruto's chakra surge. Sasuke proceeded to activate a half-bodied Susanoo around him and the boy. Naruto never went for the kill when they last fought, yet their strengths evened out. If Naruto really went for the kill, how strong would he be? Sasuke did not want to know.

"Stay close to me, I don't know what will happen if he summons even just half his strength. He's starting to tap into Kurama's chakra," Sasuke said, reaching out to pull Boruto by the arm.

"Is he really that strong?" Boruto asked.

"Unimaginably so," Sasuke answered.

"They always said you can match his strength," Boruto pointed out.

"They don't really know that. Haven't I told you I had lost to him?"

Sasuke's grip grew tighter as the figure of the nine-tailed fox formed around Naruto through blazing yellow chakra. It was shifting its position to stand on its hind legs, its tall figure looming over Susanoo, when Naruto shouted.

"Sasuke! He's testing our full strength; you need to end this really soon."

Sasuke just kept quiet, unfazed, despite witnessing a tailed beast ball growing in front of them. He heard Naruto yell his name again when the immense pool of chakra discharged viciously toward him and Boruto but they did not move. Right before it reached them, a lightning-shaped arrow pierced violently right through the ball in a flash, causing a huge explosion that shook the ground and sent them flying backwards.

Even with Sasuke's well-calculated defense, Susanoo shrank and soon dissolved. Kurama's figure suddenly dissipated without warning, and Naruto lowered himself down on one knee, his arm pressed tight against his core. On his face, however, was a wide smile.

"Kansuke's control is lapsing, that may have been too much for him," Naruto said with a tone that hinted hope, while he squinted at the unbearable heat throbbing inside his undead body. "That gives you windows, Sasuke, to attack."

Sasuke took a deep breath and just shook his head. He did not seem to share the same hope that Naruto had because he only frowned at the suggestion.

He had barely moved when Naruto straightened up and began to form a bright ball of swirling chakra on one hand. Sasuke did not want to fight; he wanted to understand what Kansuke was doing. Fighting now was obsolete; it would not help him achieve what he had to do.

Naruto, however, seemed troubled by Sasuke's complete lack of offense, even now when Kurama's chakra is temporarily out of the equation.

When Naruto charged at Sasuke with a medium-sized rasengan, the raven did not move. Instead, he waited for the last split-second and kept his focus at the peripheral. Surely enough, before Naruto's form entirely blocked his view, he saw several clones jump from behind Naruto, each with a rasengan on hand, running not toward Sasuke but towards Boruto.

Sasuke substituted himself with a boulder, rushed toward Boruto, and took down around half of the clones with his katana, while Boruto took out the other half with his own rasengan.

Naruto, with speed that easily matched Sasuke's, quickly diverted his attack toward his own son.

"Boruto!" Naruto yelled, as he attempted to drive a fatal attack toward his son against his own will.

Although caught off guard, Boruto met his father's rasengan with his own. He knew his counterattack was way too inferior to even match his father's, so that it did not surprise him when his shoulder exploded with unimaginable pain and his own blood splattered all over one side of his face.

"Damn it!" Boruto heard Sasuke burst in rage under his breath. The young man's vision had started to blur and he had almost blacked out when someone snatched him up and pressed a firm hand against his throbbing shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Boruto heard someone say, but he could not discern if it was his father's or his mentor's voice.

"No - it's - I," Boruto grimaced. He tried steadying himself up upon being lowered to the ground. "I let my guard down a bit," he said.

He opened his eyes and saw that it was Sasuke who had carried him to safety.

"Here." Sasuke tore the sleeve that hung over his amputated shoulder, rolled it into a small bolster, and handed it over to Boruto. "Press this against your wound to stop the bleeding." Boruto took it and complied no matter how agonizing this felt.

"Please finish this, before either of you gets really hurt," Naruto said, and it sounded to Boruto as if his voice cracked under the pressure.

Boruto wanted to assure Naruto that he would be fine, but they were already standing too far from each other and his voice was getting caught in his throat. The stench of his own blood against his face was intense; Sasuke's coat had also been deeply stained by it already.

Sasuke rested his hand on Boruto's head, tapping with his finger lightly three times. Boruto knew what it meant; he just nodded to let Sasuke know that he understood.

The young man grabbed his mentor's arm to stand up and Sasuke readily helped him; he gave the young man a knowing look, Boruto sighed. Boruto stayed behind as Sasuke began to walk toward Naruto.

"Boruto, stay out of this now. You're seriously hurt," Naruto reminded. He was once again covered in blazing orange and yellow chakra and had already effortlessly entered sage mode.

This did not change Sasuke's demeanor and he still walked straight toward Naruto without hesitation.

Nine blazing tails grew behind Naruto and chakra instantly gathered in each of them. Sasuke knew exactly what was going to happen next. He activated Susanoo around Boruto to protect him from any of Naruto's attacks.

"I guess the only way I can end this is by killing you, Naruto," Sasuke declared, raising his katana overhead.

"I guess so, too," Naruto nodded. "The sooner this ends, the better," he added.

Sasuke swiftly dodged the first two beast balls hurled toward him as he charged toward Naruto's main form. Naruto avoided Sasuke's sword, and one of the tails charged a ball right toward Sasuke. The raven disappeared before it hit him, and landed unscathed behind Naruto.

"Amaterasu!" Sasuke yelled, and black flames began to encircle the area where Naruto stood.

"You need to aim right at me, Sasuke! Not around me!"

"I know what I am doing!"

When the ominous black flames threatened to close in, the chakra around Naruto started growing into Kurama's monstrous figure like it previously had.

"Do not let him tap into Kurama's chakra any further!" Naruto shouted, but Sasuke really wasn't listening anymore.

All Sasuke knew was that the enemy was not the man in front of him, but the man controlling Naruto. His real enemy was somewhere out there, manipulating them like shogi pieces while sitting comfortably in a cave.

When Kurama jumped away from the black flames, and in its involuntary rage began forming another gigantic beast ball, Sasuke smiled to himself.

"At three!" Sasuke yelled, and Naruto barely heard it.

"At what?" Naruto asked.

"At three," Sasuke murmured under his breath. "At three! Mitsuki! Do you hear me?"

Before Naruto could ask him what it meant, Kurama had already discharged the beast ball right toward Sasuke. The ball pierced right through the path between them, and while Naruto waited for Sasuke to counterattack, nothing came.

The magnitude of the energy that was released sent debris flying everywhere and Kurama's figure dissipated again. Kansuke's control lapsed and Naruto was sent flying back, hitting a tree as he landed. Dust filled the entire area and for a moment the area had zero visibility.

After making sure that Kansuke's control had been broken, Naruto ran toward the direction where he last saw Boruto, hoping the force did not reach his son, but Susanoo was nowhere to be found.

As the atmosphere cleared, he saw his son's tall form crouched over on the ground, with one hand pressed against his opposite shoulder and the injured arm holding something else. It did not take long before Naruto could distinguish another figure present beside Boruto. Accompanied with a nagging feeling of dread, Naruto darted toward where Sasuke lay.

The dark-haired man was lying still with his back on the ground, his hair covering his eyes and his coat torn in different places. Blood covered the raven's neck and heavily soaked his vest. Naruto knelt beside him and hastily brushed Sasuke's hair off his face.

"Sasuke," Naruto called out, shaking the other man's shoulder, but his friend did not respond. Sasuke was unconscious and he was not breathing. Naruto began to feel a wave of panic hit him. "Hell, no."

He looked at Boruto, whose hand held tight around Sasuke's wrist. He was staring blankly at his father, as if in a daze, as if he didn't know what to say.

Without hesitation, Naruto pressed his fingers first against Sasuke's wrist, and then at the side of his neck below his ear.

This only confirmed the last thing he expected to happen -

Sasuke had no signs of life left in him anymore.

* * *

"Papa!" Sarada shouted, her eyes beginning to well up with tears, as she charged toward Kansuke with a kunai in her hand. "No, no, no, no..." she sobbed, cornering the older man up against wall of the cave with all her strength.

Her eyes were burning, her chest felt weighted down, and she could barely breathe. While she stared at Kansuke, the rest of the world began to spin around her wildly.

Sarada felt the man wrestle against her, but soon enough snakes had begun creeping up and binding Kansuke around his arms and his legs. The young lady could no longer see clearly, but judging by the intensity of the chakra behind her, she assumed Mitsuki was already using senjutsu to subdue Kansuke.

After making sure Kansuke was fully bound, Mitsuki gently wrapped his arms around Sarada in an attempt to pull her away. She resisted, her kunai still directed toward Kansuke's throat.

"He killed him - "

"He can't move now, Sarada, let go," Mitsuki said, as he tried to comfort her.

"No, Mitsuki, let  _me_ go," Sarada whispered, her body trembling against her teammates arms. "Papa's gone."

In sage mode, Mitsuki was way too powerful for Sarada's raw strength and he was able to pull her away from the restrained traitor. Sarada's knees gave in and Mitsuki caught her just before she hit the ground.

"Papa's not breathing! He killed him, he killed him..." she continued crying with her hand covering her eyes.

Sarada could not stop herself from gasping for breath as her chest further constricted and she could barely get any air. Mitsuki tried to pull Sarada's hand gently away from her face, but she shook herself away from him.

"Sarada, let me look at your eyes," Mitsuki asked.

"No! It hurts - so bad," she said in between gasps. "Take me to Papa, take me to him…"

"Okay, I will, but let me take a look first," Mitsuki placed his hand over Sarada's and waited for her to move, but she did not.

"I can't, it's burning, it hurts so much," Sarada grabbed onto Mitsuki's sleeve with her other hand, and begged, "Take me to him, carry me on your back - "

"Sarada, sorry, not now - "

"Why not?"

Without answering, Mitsuki nudged her arm harder and pulled it away from her face, little by little. The moment Sarada opened her eyes, Mitsuki knew there was something different. He just wished he knew enough to help her with it.

"Your eyes, they've changed," was all he could say.

"What…do you mean - changed?"

"You've awakened it - " he answered, " - the Mangekyo Sharingan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that was short, but that was the portion which I thought would be decent enough for chapter ending. This fic is nearing the end, yaaay, which I think is just perfect seeing how the series will start to pick up in the following months too.
> 
> Also, I know the fight scene can be very disappointing. It's hard to write a fight scene between two OP characters who can destroy an entire planet using beast balls or send the whole population to a different dimension. xD A fight scene between Bolt and Sarada, or kid Naruto and kid Sasuke, would have been more fun to write.
> 
> I can't promise to update soon, because I had to wait for this specific week in March (holidays in my country) just to be able to write something as short as this. The latest update schedule you can expect for the next chapter will be at the end of May (so two months), and I'm sure of that because grad school ends in mid-May.
> 
> I hope you don't hate me for what I did to Sasuke. Til next time!


End file.
